If the second image he refers to is correct, and there appears to be no reason to doubt it, then they have traced the trajectories to their asymptotes and they are almost perpendicular. The jury is now in and the two events are not related.
The Cuban thing was first reported a couple of hours ago, but for a long time there was nothing on it on Google News. Even now, there appears to be very little in obviously serious sources. Amusingly, there could still be a link between the Cuban event if it happened and either the big asteroid or the Russian meteor, but not both. Or the Cuban event could be a false report, which is what I’m inclined to believe.
Maybe some judgmental, hypercapitalistic aliens noticed communism a few decades back, and fired small relativistic rocks their way as a cautionary lesson. They’re just now arriving. If we get an airburst over mainland China, that’d definitely be enemy action, by the Goldfinger Rule.
I’m guessing that early direction data based on the trail over Russia ruled out any relation. We’ll see on Cuba. Given the speeds involved, related meteors either hit within seconds/minutes of each other or not at all.
Perturbed. Meteor. I like it. i don’t know anyone I can tell it to, but I like like it.
Martijn Meijering (@mmeijeri):
February 16th, 2013 at 1:39 am
Yeah, but note that it is the difference in the direction of the asymptotes that matters, not the difference near the Earth. So it’s the second picture that ends the argument, not the first one.
JP Gibb:
February 16th, 2013 at 5:49 am
And another over San Fran last night; Mitch and Der Schtumpy might be right about anti-Commie rocks after all.
I was thinking about how they determine the statistics. This 30 Hiroshima equivalent being a ten year rock which we only notice a tenth of the time because it usually finds some remote area or ocean 90% of the time.
What if the distribution isn’t even? I remember we had 3 hundred year floods in AZ 3 years in a row. Imagine if we get decades with streaks of rocks hitting us? Now that might stimulate a space program (hopefully to include a humanity backup rather than just rock watch.)
People live with no idea that we get hit daily, and not all of those burn up before hitting the ground. The frequency of getting hit is unity. It’s the size the statistics focus on.
Thomas Matula:
February 15th, 2013 at 12:30 pm
Yep, this could just be a learning event for the human race…
I wonder if the USAF satellites are picking up additional events over the oceans.
Martijn Meijering (@mmeijeri):
February 15th, 2013 at 12:33 pm
Just saw this post by Jorge Frank:
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=31118.msg1013489#msg1013489
If the second image he refers to is correct, and there appears to be no reason to doubt it, then they have traced the trajectories to their asymptotes and they are almost perpendicular. The jury is now in and the two events are not related.
The Cuban thing was first reported a couple of hours ago, but for a long time there was nothing on it on Google News. Even now, there appears to be very little in obviously serious sources. Amusingly, there could still be a link between the Cuban event if it happened and either the big asteroid or the Russian meteor, but not both. Or the Cuban event could be a false report, which is what I’m inclined to believe.
Mitch H.:
February 15th, 2013 at 12:49 pm
Maybe some judgmental, hypercapitalistic aliens noticed communism a few decades back, and fired small relativistic rocks their way as a cautionary lesson. They’re just now arriving. If we get an airburst over mainland China, that’d definitely be enemy action, by the Goldfinger Rule.
Thomas Matula:
February 15th, 2013 at 12:53 pm
it will be interesting to see what NASA says
http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2013/feb/HQ_M13-033_Russia_Meteor_Teleconference.html
Der Schtumpy:
February 15th, 2013 at 2:00 pm
Anti-Communist meteors.
I wonder where they were during the Cold War. We could have used some cheap help.
McGehee:
February 15th, 2013 at 3:57 pm
Like many of us, they were getting perturbed.
Next set ought to have warp drive so they’ll get here sooner.
Tom Hill:
February 15th, 2013 at 5:17 pm
I’m guessing that early direction data based on the trail over Russia ruled out any relation. We’ll see on Cuba. Given the speeds involved, related meteors either hit within seconds/minutes of each other or not at all.
Tom Hill:
February 15th, 2013 at 5:22 pm
B612 has an infographic of the geometry. http://b612foundation.org/russian-meteor-impact-explained-infographic/
Der Schtumpy:
February 15th, 2013 at 5:55 pm
Perturbed. Meteor. I like it. i don’t know anyone I can tell it to, but I like like it.
Martijn Meijering (@mmeijeri):
February 16th, 2013 at 1:39 am
Yeah, but note that it is the difference in the direction of the asymptotes that matters, not the difference near the Earth. So it’s the second picture that ends the argument, not the first one.
JP Gibb:
February 16th, 2013 at 5:49 am
And another over San Fran last night; Mitch and Der Schtumpy might be right about anti-Commie rocks after all.
ken anthony:
February 16th, 2013 at 11:29 am
Calm down. It’s just Elon trying to drum up business.
Casey:
February 16th, 2013 at 6:54 pm
Paging Harry Stamper…
ken anthony:
February 19th, 2013 at 6:45 am
I was thinking about how they determine the statistics. This 30 Hiroshima equivalent being a ten year rock which we only notice a tenth of the time because it usually finds some remote area or ocean 90% of the time.
What if the distribution isn’t even? I remember we had 3 hundred year floods in AZ 3 years in a row. Imagine if we get decades with streaks of rocks hitting us? Now that might stimulate a space program (hopefully to include a humanity backup rather than just rock watch.)
People live with no idea that we get hit daily, and not all of those burn up before hitting the ground. The frequency of getting hit is unity. It’s the size the statistics focus on.