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Human Civilization Could End on September 24, 2182
- Human Civilization Could End on September 24, 2182
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Human Civilization Could End on September 24, 2182
Michael > September 23rd, 2023, 04:37 PM
![[Image: human-civilization-could-end-2182.jpg]](https://forums.sf-fandom.com/images/embeds/human-civilization-could-end-2182.jpg)
Asteroid Bennu is possibly on a collision course with Earth, and NASA estimates there is a "1 in 2700" chance the asteroid (about "the size of the Empire State Building") could crash into the Earth on September 24, 2182.
And so 7 years ago (2016) NASA launched a probe into space with the intent of crashing it into the asteroid.
Earth.Com covers the story in detail:
Quote:NASA mission to stop asteroid Bennu collision with Earth ends Sunday with high drama
NASA is edging closer to the conclusion of its ambitious seven-year mission, aiming to prevent a catastrophic collision of a massive asteroid named Bennu with Earth. Recent findings have indicated that there’s a 1 in 2700 chance of Bennu slamming into Earth on September 24, 2182.
The menace of asteroid Bennu
Roughly the size of the iconic Empire State Building, Bennu spans about a third of a mile wide. The potential aftermath of its predicted collision with Earth could equate to the explosive energy of 22 atomic bombs.
The asteroid makes its presence felt by passing Earth approximately every six years. However, scientists anticipate that its most perilous close encounter could be a mere 159 years away.
OSIRIS-REx mission
In a proactive move, NASA dispatched a spacecraft to Bennu in 2016. This mission was crucial for collecting samples and advancing the agency’s strategy to stave off a doomsday-like asteroid deflection scenario.
“It feels very much like the last few miles of a marathon, with a confluence of emotions like pride and joy coexisting with a determined focus to complete the race well,” expressed an impassioned Rich Burns, the project manager for OSIRIS-REx at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.
Read the full article here. -
RE: Human Civilization Could End on September 24, 2182
Michael > September 23rd, 2023, 04:40 PM
What I find mind-boggling about this is that we launched a 7-year mission to try to change the probability of a catastrophic event happening 166 years from now, and yet we're almost powerless to stop a series of catastrophes (driven by global warming) that are expected to happen within the next 50 years. Scientists have been warning us about the dangers of rising temperatures (driven by air pollution) for about 160 years now.
Have we learned too little too late? -
RE: Human Civilization Could End on September 24, 2182
Alvin Eriol > October 1st, 2023, 11:40 PM
If you ask me, we need to be preparing for the next "Carrington Event", a major "coronal mass ejection" aka solar flare aimed at the Earth. The last one, and the first one detected by humans (which triggered lots of interest in studying the Sun and charged particles), occurred in 1859. The only large grid of artificial conductors back then was the telegraph system. Operators were shocked and papers in telegraph offices were ignited when powerful fluxes of charged particles induced voltages in the telegraph equipment. It also produced spectacular auroras even in lower latitudes.
The same nowadays would fry unprotected electronics, transformers, and many other components of the electrical grids and hi-tech appliances and vehicles, bringing modern civilization to a halt. It could happen at any time, especially when the sun is in a more active phase of its cycle! -
RE: Human Civilization Could End on September 24, 2182
Michael > October 2nd, 2023, 01:29 AM
Well, better the disaster you know is coming 166 years in the future than the one you cannot predict, I suppose. I wonder if a Faraday cage would protect us from a Carrington Event.