Asteroid 1997 survey

[andave_ya]

Once again I've got an astronomy homework to do and I'd be really interested in what you have to say. Of course you are under no obligation to answer (I feel like a bit of a weasel asking for help with my homework here but I am supposed to discuss this with friends and family).

In 1998, we got news of an asteroid possibly impacting the Earth in 2028. Then less than a day later there was another press release that said that there was absolutely no chance of the asteroid hitting Earth; the scientists that had said that had only ninety days of research until pictures some eight years old were found with that same asteroid in in. Taking those photos into account astronomers recalculated to find that they were formerly mistaken.

Evidently there was a lot of hullabaloo over the whole thing (I was too young to remember then, but I've read some articles about it that I can link to, if anyone wants). Do you think it was wrong of the scientists to publish the possibility of a collision based on their ninety days worth of data?

Did the media and public overreact? Did you or your friends or family question how the information was collected, or whether there was other data? Did you even believe it?

Thank you very much everyone! I really appreciate it!

andave.

[Virgil]

The media and the public almost always over react on almost every issue, espeicially those that capture the imagination. Look at all the nonesense over global warming.

[papayahed]

I remeber there was a renewed interest in the notion of asteroids hitting earth for a while there but I don't remeber it being a big deal.

[bazarov]

Do you think it was wrong of the scientists to publish the possibility of a collision based on their ninety days worth of data?

Did the media and public overreact? Did you or your friends or family question how the information was collected, or whether there was other data? Did you even believe it?


Yes, it was wrong from them; they should always consider what impact will that have on public, no matter is it 100 percent sure or just maybe possible.

I don't remember that; I was still young and without bear. Would I believe it? No. I doubt we would ever find such facts, like that movie Armagedon, because there is nothing we can do with such a truth.



Look at all the nonesense over global warming.

Well, that's something we all should actually worry about.

[andave_ya]

Thank you so much everyone.