Earth + Asteroid Near Miss 03/09/2013 (This Saturday)

Hello there,


It's interesting that we're being just missed again by a large asteroid this Saturday. It's about the size of a football field and will pass by Earth at a distance of about 2.5 times the distance from the Earth to the Moon. That's farther than the one coming some years later which will pass CLOSER than the distance from the Earth to the Moon.

The number of asteroids being tracked these days is around 1000, at least the dangerous ones. So hopefully we dont get hit by anything in the near future. After the one over Russia recently though they are taking this more seriously, finally!

Glad they got the sums right for Saturday's asteroid !

It's about the size of a football field

Click to expand...

The new system of units amuses me.

Over the years there have been several unit systems used for scientific and engineering measurements.

Imperial where feet and pounds were used, metric with kilograms and metres which developed into the SI system.

There is now what I propose we call the DC System (Discovery Channel), where things are related to football fields, storeys of buildings, speeding trains such similar things.
I guess it make things easier for the average "Sun* reader".

JimB

*Note for non-UK readers, the Sun is a daily newspaper which is not particularly noted for its intellectual content.

You forgot weight; units are "bull elephants" for smaller things, "Fully laden 747s" for heavier things.

And height; the standard unit is "Empire state buildings".

And you are correct; "Football fields" are the new standard units for length or diameter of a large object.