JAXA: Small asteroids not as threatening to Earth (AP/CNN)

[eppur_se_muova]

Friday, June 2, 2006; Posted: 10:05 a.m. EDT (14:05 GMT)

TOKYO, Japan (AP) -- Asteroids on collision paths with Earth may be less dangerous than previously thought and may disintegrate before touching down, according to first results from a Japanese space probe that landed on a faraway space rock late last year.

The Hayabusa probe, which means "falcon" in Japanese, has been plagued with communication problems, a fuel leak and lost equipment. But researchers have still praised the mission as a roaring success for its pioneering insights into the little-understood world of small asteroids, which comprise the bulk of celestial bodies spinning in threatening, near-earth orbits.

"The results were very interesting and shocking," said Akira Fujiwara, a scientist on the Hayabusa team from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA. "To mitigate asteroid threats, it will be very useful in the future."
***
The results show that Itokawa, the asteroid visited by the Japanese probe, is a very loose compilation of rock and gravel, barely held together by its own weak gravity. Most asteroids studied thus far have been at least double the size of the 690-meter (2,300-foot) -long Itokawa and are much more densely compacted, Fujiwara said.

The loose composition suggests small asteroids like Itokawa, which cross the Earth's orbit, pose less of a risk of a cataclysmic collision with our planet, Fujiwara said. Such asteroids are not only more likely to break into smaller, harmless pieces should they enter the earth's atmosphere, but they would also be easier for humans to blow up or deflect with weapons.
***
more: http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/space/06/02/japan.asteroid.ap/index.html

Well, that's one thing DHS can't scare us with.

"Asteroid Security! We're here for your phone records!"
"Ruh roh!"

[mike_c]

1. yeah well, a chunk of iron is a different story....

Tell it to the dinosaurs....

[Occulus]

4. That's what makes me go "oh thanks for the info Cpt. Obvious"

Well, DUH, the smaller, more losely compacted asteroid would be less of a threat!

I mean, duuuuuh, with horse teeth. And Cpt. Obvious picks up the cluephone.....

How did this merit "news", anyway? "Oooh, smaller, less compact asteroid are less dangerous..."

And thrown pudding is less dangerous than thrown paperweights.

I really, really don't mean to demean the researchers, but this really seems like a totally obvious conclusion. The only benefit I can see from the research is that they now know that particular rock isn't a planetkilling danger, and smaller ones likely aren't either.

How... obvious.

[eppur_se_muova]

7. I thought they were leaping to conclusions a bit. I don't see why finding

that ONE small asteroid is a floating gravel heap should rule out the possibility that there are others out there that are much sturdier. Visit a thousand asteroids and maybe we can talk statistics. But when there's one headed down the chimney I'd like to know something more definite than that.

IF it were true, it would be welcome news. I think a sense of relief may have overwhelmed the more usual scientific caution in this case.

[Ian David]

2. Unless Mothra is hiding inside one of those asteroids. n/t

[htuttle]

3. I'd be a lot more worried about King Ghidorah

That pair of tiny Japanese women would just sing to Mothra and put her to sleep. Nothing to worry about there.

As you can see, I've put some thought into this possibility...

:freak:

[sakabatou]

6. What about Gigan?

Or Space Godzilla?

[rman]

5. impact of a small asteroid won't be cataclysmic anyway

whether it disintegrates or not.