March 16, 2880 - Mark Your Calendars - End of The World
Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2014 8:05 am
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/ ... op-it.html
Article from The Daily Mail.Human life could be wiped out on March 16, 2880 because a huge asteroid is hurtling towards Earth - and experts don't know how to stop it
Asteroid 1950 DA has a 0.3 per cent chance of hitting Earth in 867 years
A possible impact date for 1950 DA is on 16 March, 2880, scientists say
If it hits, it would do so with a force of 44,800 megatonnes of TNT
But scientists say there is no cause for concern as the risk is low
Asteroid's body defies gravity due to forces known as van Der Waals
These forces have never been spotted on an asteroid before
Scientists say they are now closer to finding out how to stop the rock
Sucks to be the future.The date of Earth's potential destruction has been set at 16 March 2880, when an asteroid hurtling through space has a possibility of striking our planet.
Researchers studying the rock found that its body rotates so quickly that it should break apart, but somehow remains intact on its Earth-bound trajectory.
They believe it is held together by cohesive forces known as van der Waals - and although this is considered a major breakthrough, scientists still don't know how to stop it.
WHAT IS ASTEROID 1950 DA?
The asteroid, named 1950 DA, is a rock two-thirds of a mile in diameter, travelling at about 15 km (nine miles) per second relative to the Earth.
It is approximately 3,280ft (1,000 metres) in diameter, but rotates once every two hours and six minutes.
At this rate, the rock should break apart and eventually disintegrate, but it is not showing any signs of doing so.
In fact, the rotation is so fast that at its equator, 1950 DA effectively experiences negative gravity.
If an astronaut were to attempt to stand on this surface, he or she would fly off into space unless he or she were somehow anchored.
The presence of cohesive forces has been predicted in small asteroids, but definitive evidence has never been seen before.
It is due to swing so close to Earth it could slam into the Atlantic Ocean at 38,000 miles per hour.
It is estimated that if 1950 DA were to collide with the planet, it would do so with an force of around 44,800 megatonnes of TNT.
Although the probability of an impact is only 0.3 per cent, this represents a risk 50 per cent greater than an impact from all other asteroids.