Apophis

[FaithT]

A friendly acquaintance of mine was talking last night tha an asteroid named Apophis is due to hit Earth in 2029. She claims NASA knows and is covering up so there’s no panic. I read about asteroids and experts say this one won’t hit Earth and we are unlikely to be struck within the next 100 years.
They did also say that eventually one will hit Earth.......would that be the end of the world or just devastation for the location it strikes?

 

[Kaon]

Apophis was all but guaranteed by NASA to impact the earth in 2029 - this was in the early 2000s. Many of us haven't forgotten, we just stopped talking about it because of social pressure or disdain.

Apophis is Greco-Egyptian for "great Serpent" associated with storms, earthquakes, chaos, disorder and darkness.

 

[Nithavela]

A friendly acquaintance of mine was talking last night tha an asteroid named Apophis is due to hit Earth in 2029. She claims NASA knows and is covering up so there’s no panic. I read about asteroids and experts say this one won’t hit Earth and we are unlikely to be struck within the next 100 years.
They did also say that eventually one will hit Earth.......would that be the end of the world or just devastation for the location it strikes?

That depends on the size, the velocity and the location it strikes, as well as the angle and a lot of other factors.

The chance of it hitting was at about 3% at its highest, but later corrected down and finally discounted.

If apophis would hit, it wouldn't be the end of the world. It's energy of impact would be about 900 megatons of TNT or a few dozen nuclear warheads. It would neccessitate an evacuation of several hundred kilometers around the impact site and might cause some changed weather phenomena for a few years, but nothing that could seriously threaten mankind, especially with enough warning. There's no reason to keep it secret because even if you were at the point of impact right now, you could continue your life for the next few years and then calmly relocate somewhere else. Hardly a reason for panic.

 

[Kaon]

That depends on the size, the velocity and the location it strikes, as well as the angle and a lot of other factors.

The chance of it hitting was at about 3% at its highest, but later corrected down and finally discounted.

If apophis would hit, it wouldn't be the end of the world. It's energy of impact would be about 900 megatons of TNT or a few dozen nuclear warheads. It would neccessitate an evacuation of several hundred kilometers around the impact site and might cause some changed weather phenomena for a few years, but nothing that could seriously threaten mankind, especially with enough warning. There's no reason to keep it secret because even if you were at the point of impact right now, you could continue your life for the next few years and then calmly relocate somewhere else. Hardly a reason for panic.

The world won't end, that is true. The world as we know it will disappear. The chaos will collapse the economies of the world, people would riot, and the world leaders would have to go to their respective underground lairs, as it were.

Humans are very predictable; we act as it we are in control of our lives, dismiss what doesn't fit, and then we lose our heads wen confronted with inconvenient truths and events. It is a predictable and exploitable anthropological pattern, and usually works in favor of those who exploit this as long as it is controlled (by prejudices, fiat currency, social programming, etc). Humans were losing their minds in 2010 because of the 2012 distraction - which was likely heavily advertised as a psychological test on the behavior of humans when confronted with a cosmic event.

The point of not alarming us is to control us even further. That is why one wasn't crazy for believing in 2012, but one is crazy for bringing up dangerous NEOs - while we just "accept" it when it happens despite the warnings.


Honestly, there are many "serpent"-characteristic celestial objects that have allegedly influenced the plane of existence in a significant way. We in the West don't usually pay attention to our Timex in the sky star systems to expect these events, but (at the end) people are beginning to get back into it.

 

[Nithavela]

The world won't end, that is true. The world as we know it will disappear. The chaos will collapse the economies of the world, people would riot, and the world leaders would have to go to their respective underground lairs, as it were.

Humans are very predictable; we act as it we are in control of our lives, dismiss what doesn't fit, and then we lose our heads wen confronted with inconvenient truths and events. It is a predictable and exploitable anthropological pattern, and usually works in favor of those who exploit this as long as it is controlled (by prejudices, fiat currency, social programming, etc). Humans were losing their minds in 2010 because of the 2012 distraction - which was likely heavily advertised as a psychological test on the behavior of humans when confronted with a cosmic event.

The point of not alarming us is to control us even further. That is why one wasn't crazy for believing in 2012, but one is crazy for bringing up dangerous NEOs - while we just "accept" it when it happens despite the warnings.


Honestly, there are many "serpent"-characteristic celestial objects that have allegedly influenced the plane of existence in a significant way. We in the West don't usually pay attention to our Timex in the sky star systems to expect these events, but (at the end) people are beginning to get back into it.

Let's for a minute, assume that 2029 comes and goes and apophis flies past and doesn't hit earth. What will you say then, assuming you still live?

 

[Kaon]

Let's for a minute, assume that 2029 comes and goes and apophis flies past and doesn't hit earth. What will you say then, assuming you still live?

I would shrug, because the date doesn't matter. The object exists, and behaves - take that as literally or fantastically as you would like; it depends on several factors other than Terran scientists being able to do relatively crude physics and math to determining a very rough path.

The main reason for the relationship to the date is because this date was given by NASA. It doesn't concern me or my understanding of this entity.

 

[Nithavela]

I would shrug[...]

I find it refreshing that you don't let your views be influenced by reality.

 

[Kaon]

I find it refreshing that you don't let your views be influenced by reality.

Because reality, in and of itself, is subjectvity. Reality as we know it is just a constant flux of paradigms influenced by our own experiences and judgments.

There are only artifacts of objectivity in the plane of existence that give us nexus points for the truth - not a/our/my truth. Finding one of those points means you can be grounded in an existence of constant fluctuation in "reality".

 

[Rick Otto]

That depends on the size, the velocity and the location it strikes, as well as the angle and a lot of other factors.

The chance of it hitting was at about 3% at its highest, but later corrected down and finally discounted.

If apophis would hit, it wouldn't be the end of the world. It's energy of impact would be about 900 megatons of TNT or a few dozen nuclear warheads. It would neccessitate an evacuation of several hundred kilometers around the impact site and might cause some changed weather phenomena for a few years, but nothing that could seriously threaten mankind, especially with enough warning. There's no reason to keep it secret because even if you were at the point of impact right now, you could continue your life for the next few years and then calmly relocate somewhere else. Hardly a reason for panic.

Yeah, but I need a panic fix. Have ya got ANYthing? lol

 

[Rick Otto]

Because reality, in and of itself, is subjectvity. Reality as we know it is just a constant flux of paradigms influenced by our own experiences and judgments.

There are only artifacts of objectivity in the plane of existence that give us nexus points for the truth - not a/our/my truth. Finding one of those points means you can be grounded in an existence of constant fluctuation in "reality".

I give them an existentialist threat.. I just tell 'em if they don't rate my post "Winner" I'll explain to them the pointless absurdity of all existence. lol

 

[Rick Otto]

Because reality, in and of itself, is subjectvity. Reality as we know it is just a constant flux of paradigms influenced by our own experiences and judgments.

There are only artifacts of objectivity in the plane of existence that give us nexus points for the truth - not a/our/my truth. Finding one of those points means you can be grounded in an existence of constant fluctuation in "reality".

Have you seen my flux capacitor?

 

[Rick Otto]

I find it refreshing that you don't let your views be influenced by reality.

I'm impressed how reality cannot exceed your grasp of it.

 

[Rick Otto]

Apophis was all but guaranteed by NASA to impact the earth in 2029 - this was in the early 2000s. Many of us haven't forgotten, we just stopped talking about it because of social pressure or disdain.

Apophis is Greco-Egyptian for "great Serpent" associated with storms, earthquakes, chaos, disorder and darkness.

This is why I refuse to renew the warranty on my car.

 

[Kaon]

I give them an existentialist threat.. I just tell 'em if they don't rate my post "Winner" I'll explain to them the pointless absurdity of all existence. lol

Some people would find it tempting to hear pointless absurdity.

 

[Radagast]

A friendly acquaintance of mine was talking last night tha an asteroid named Apophis is due to hit Earth in 2029. She claims NASA knows and is covering up so there’s no panic.

NASA is not "covering it up." They've posted lots of stuff about it.

Scientists monitor this stuff all the time. As more data gets collected, predictions get better. Asteroid 99942 Apophis won't hit the Earth or the Moon.

Scientists maintain a list of potentially dangerous asteroids, rated on a "Torino scale" of 0 (not the slightest thing to worry about) to 10 (we are all doomed). Everything currently on the list is rated 0 (not the slightest thing to worry about).

The worst thing on the list is 29075 (1950 DA), which has a slight chance of hitting us in the year 2880, more than 800 years from now.

 

[Nithavela]

Yeah, but I need a panic fix. Have ya got ANYthing? lol

Don't worry, climate change can provide and actually back its claims up.

 

[anna ~ grace]

NASA is not "covering it up." They've posted lots of stuff about it.

Scientists monitor this stuff all the time. As more data gets collected, predictions get better. Asteroid 99942 Apophis won't hit the Earth or the Moon.

Scientists maintain a list of potentially dangerous asteroids, rated on a "Torino scale" of 0 (not the slightest thing to worry about) to 10 (we are all doomed). Everything currently on the list is rated 0 (not the slightest thing to worry about).

The worst thing on the list is 29075 (1950 DA), which has a slight chance of hitting us in the year 2880, more than 800 years from now.

They've been wrong, though, and several things have taken them wholly by surprise.

ʻOumuamua - Wikipedia

The reality is, we can not truly, with absolute accuracy, as humans, predict what the heavens will do.

 

[Nithavela]

Yeah, but I need a panic fix. Have ya got ANYthing? lol

Oh yeah, and the yellowstone volcano that might blow us all up every single minute of every day.

 

[Radagast]

They've been wrong, though, and several things have taken them wholly by surprise.

Well, yeah.

The first time someone sees an object, they know very little about it, and it's all guesswork.

The longer they observe it, the better they can calculate the object's track, and the more accurate their predictions are.

The scientific principle at play (gravity) is something that we understand pretty well. That's why we can aim a spaceprobe at Pluto, and get it to arrive years later, in spite of the fact that the whole solar system has moved around in the interim.

 

[Nithavela]

Well, yeah.

The first time someone sees an object, they know very little about it, and it's all guesswork.

The longer they observe it, the better they can calculate the object's track, and the more accurate their predictions are.

Sadly when an astronomer sees a new astroid, they tend to open their mouths because it is a pretty cool discovery, and the media always spins it as "WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE" because that generates clicks, and while the media generally gets corrected, it only reports its correction on page 3. In the meantime, people only remember the dying part and base their entire mental framework around it, reading every correction as the government surpressing information and any fringe cook as someone "in the know", just as long as their initial bias gets supported.

Conspiracy theories in general are a symptom of the human mind striving for internal consistency while not being willing to change its frame of reference.