99942 Apophis - The actual menace from space - Page 4

Bells · 12-21-2009, 03:19 AM

To quote the video that i linked in the first post (you guys should really check it out)

"Turns out we're very good at blowing stuff up... we're less good at figuring it out where the pieces go after it blows up"

EDIT: My Bad, i noticed that the video i linked was not the one i was referring to. It's the one that starts right after the one i linked.

here it is

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-ReuLZ2quc

Eltargrim · 12-21-2009, 08:13 AM

Exactly. We don't want to blow it up, we want to put it into a stable, predictable orbit that has nothing to do with the earth in any way, shape or form. And it's going to be a lot easier if we start it sooner rather than later.

Sithdarth · 12-21-2009, 12:19 PM

They actually did experiments and the effectiveness of nukes for both blowing up and diverting an incoming object varies widely with composition. Like a small comet we might be able to break up small enough maybe. Anything made out of rock is going to shrug off any blast that comes from the outside. A solid asteroid, like those ones that are all iron, can potentially be deflected by a stand off explosion or two. A porous rock asteroid is pretty much death. We can't really break it up effectively and it'll absorb the force of the explosion internally and won't deflect much if at all.

Frostatine · 12-21-2009, 01:41 PM

Okay, if you put a few hundred nukes about a mile down at certain key points in fault lines, yes I'm pretty sure you could either shatter the planet or damage it to the point that living on it would be pretty pointless. But regardless of that I don't really consider myself an expert on the effects of nuclear weapons when used on a mass scale, nor do I pretend to know exactly how many nukes there are in existence.

Besides, why use nukes? We can just attach rockets to the moon to put it in the path of the meteor. Which would be significantly more badass.

The Artist Formerly Known as Hawk · 12-21-2009, 02:02 PM

I think all this talk about how we can't sufficiantly cause enough damage to an asteriod with nukes just goes to show we aren't using big enough explosives. I don't care what you're made of or how fast you're going, a 1000 Megaton explosive is going to FUCK you up!

Hell even half that or even a quarter would probably do the trick. Largest nuke ever detonated was only rated between 60-100 MT, and its shockwave circled the earth three fucking times!

In true NPF style, we just need to apply more force. Absurdly more.

Pip Boy · 12-21-2009, 02:28 PM

You guys just freak out every time someone mentions a large meteor impacting earth because you're bitter about the fact that the dinosaurs might have been killed by one and you don't get to ride a Tyranosaurus to school.

Its time to stop the hate. Meteors are our friends.

Tev · 12-21-2009, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Megaman FTW

Its time to stop the hate. Meteors are our friends.

Hey at least this time around when we're dead and gone and the race of dolphin men populate the world in our place, and they developed space technology and visit the moon, they'll be all "Hey, who left this junk here?"

Dinosaurs didn't leave their crap on the moon. And the Dinosaucers totally forgot.

Sifright · 12-21-2009, 03:00 PM

Pretty sure the largest one ever detonated was the Tsar bomb which was like 60 mega tonnes a TT nuke would well it would radiate alot of energy but the problem is explosions don't propagate the same way in space as they do in an atmosphere.

Eltargrim · 12-21-2009, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frostatine

Okay, if you put a few hundred nukes about a mile down at certain key points in fault lines, yes I'm pretty sure you could either shatter the planet or damage it to the point that living on it would be pretty pointless. But regardless of that I don't really consider myself an expert on the effects of nuclear weapons when used on a mass scale, nor do I pretend to know exactly how many nukes there are in existence.

There are not nearly enough nukes to even make a dent. Nuclear weapons can destroy the world in the sense that we'd all be dead, but you have to consider that the K-T boundary (in theory) was caused by an asteroid of about 100 teratons in energy. That's over 2 million of the biggest nukes ever made in a single bomb. And the Earth is still here. It's a tough old bird.

Quote:

Besides, why use nukes? We can just attach rockets to the moon to put it in the path of the meteor. Which would be significantly more badass.

True, but I like having predictable lunar effects. I'll settle for a rocket on the asteroid itself.

EDIT: The largest nuclear weapon ever detonated was the Tsar Bomba, and it had a 50 MT yield. It's fireball was 8km in diameter, and it's seismic activity was observable on it's third revolution of the Earth. Which, while impressive for a man-made device, is still far short of world-killer status.

Mesden · 12-21-2009, 04:09 PM

What's all this talk about blowing it up? Just tow it with a spaceship and gravity.

12-21-2009, 03:19 AM	#31
Bells That's so PC of you Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: In a Server-sided Dimension where time is meaningless Posts: 10,490	To quote the video that i linked in the first post (you guys should really check it out) "Turns out we're very good at blowing stuff up... we're less good at figuring it out where the pieces go after it blows up" EDIT: My Bad, i noticed that the video i linked was not the one i was referring to. It's the one that starts right after the one i linked. here it is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-ReuLZ2quc __________________ *BELLS STORE : Clothes! You wear* them! Free US Shipping Subscription System? WTF?! Zazzle Black!** Last edited by Bells; 12-21-2009 at 03:21 AM.

12-21-2009, 08:13 AM	#32
Eltargrim Fifty-Talents Haversham Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: FABULOUS Posts: 1,904	Exactly. We don't want to blow it up, we want to put it into a stable, predictable orbit that has nothing to do with the earth in any way, shape or form. And it's going to be a lot easier if we start it sooner rather than later. __________________ <Insert witticism here; get credit; ???; profit!>

12-21-2009, 01:41 PM	#34
Frostatine Flying Manta Rays With Teeth Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Georgetown KY Posts: 796	Okay, if you put a few hundred nukes about a mile down at certain key points in fault lines, yes I'm pretty sure you could either shatter the planet or damage it to the point that living on it would be pretty pointless. But regardless of that I don't really consider myself an expert on the effects of nuclear weapons when used on a mass scale, nor do I pretend to know exactly how many nukes there are in existence. Besides, why use nukes? We can just attach rockets to the moon to put it in the path of the meteor. Which would be significantly more badass. __________________ NPF, where the mods are kind and professional

12-21-2009, 04:09 PM	#40
Mesden There is no Toph, only Melon Lord! Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Inside of a box inside of a smaller box Posts: 4,310	What's all this talk about blowing it up? Just tow it with a spaceship and gravity. __________________ I can tell you're lying.

12-21-2009, 12:19 PM	#33
Sithdarth Friendly Neighborhood Quantum Hobo Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Outside the M-brane look'n in Posts: 5,403	They actually did experiments and the effectiveness of nukes for both blowing up and diverting an incoming object varies widely with composition. Like a small comet we might be able to break up small enough maybe. Anything made out of rock is going to shrug off any blast that comes from the outside. A solid asteroid, like those ones that are all iron, can potentially be deflected by a stand off explosion or two. A porous rock asteroid is pretty much death. We can't really break it up effectively and it'll absorb the force of the explosion internally and won't deflect much if at all.

12-21-2009, 02:28 PM	#36
Pip Boy Sent to the cornfield Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: A right and proper Nerd Cave Posts: 2,460	You guys just freak out every time someone mentions a large meteor impacting earth because you're bitter about the fact that the dinosaurs might have been killed by one and you don't get to ride a Tyranosaurus to school. Its time to stop the hate. Meteors are our friends.

12-21-2009, 03:00 PM	#38
Sifright Fact sphere is the most handsome Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 1,108	Pretty sure the largest one ever detonated was the Tsar bomb which was like 60 mega tonnes a TT nuke would well it would radiate alot of energy but the problem is explosions don't propagate the same way in space as they do in an atmosphere.