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In emergency decision, James Webb telescope will study 'city-killer' asteroid 2024 YR4 before its close approach to Earth (www.livescience.com)

submitted 4 days ago by floofloof to c/[email protected]

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[–] [email protected] 41 points 4 days ago (5 children)

Even if it's at the top end of the predicted range, an impact would be ~40MT equivalent. Enough to level a city, but not an extinction event by any means; plus the likely impact path is across central America, the Atlantic, central Africa and north India - not really regions that have the resources to respond to a threat like this. Personally I'm hoping it misses, because I don't see the counties that could do something about it stepping up right now, so you'd be looking at maybe 100 million people displaced from their homes and an insurmountable humanitarian crisis

[–] [email protected] 41 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

Personally I’m hoping it misses

In midst of all this funnymaking, I'd like to point out for the record that anybody who genuinely wants it to hit Earth is fucking insane. Some combination of sociopath and psychopath.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 3 days ago (2 children)

The only scenario in which I would really want it to hit would be if it would lead to moderate global cooling without hitting populated areas. If it can dislodge enough particulates over one of the poles to block out some sun and give us a couple of years of reprieve from global warming, without actually killing anyone or destroying much wildlife, that would be nice.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 3 days ago

It would be an ice agea where crops fail, people starve and we go back to business as usual.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 days ago

Well what if it hits Dallas, or Riyadh? That would probably slow down oil production.

I wonder if an impact in the middle of the oil fields in like Ghawar ir Kuwait would be enough.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Most countries on Earth would treat this as a global catastrophe and put up funds regardless of where it's projected to impact.

Maybe not the current US, though.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 days ago

The US will do it. For money.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 days ago

It goes without saying that this is all because of disapproval of .

And the flyby is a test of 'deity's' approval of our next actions. Either way we should immediately lower taxes on the rich.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Even if it misses, it has a chance to come back every 4 years

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 days ago (1 children)

So like American elections

[–] floofloof 3 points 3 days ago

Its not that catastrophic.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 days ago

Probably not every 4 years. After 2032, Earth will not be near the intersection point of the two orbits for a while. It might be decades before it's even close.