• Question: when is the next metorite dur to hit the earth??

    Asked by fluorinefaiza to Ben, Jony, Katharine, Mark, Peter on 16 Nov 2011.
    • Photo: Katharine Schofield

      Katharine Schofield answered on 16 Nov 2011:

      I’ve no idea – I think the earth gets hit by small meteorites reasonably frequently. We don’t really know how frequently because unless they are witnessed or the meteorite is found, we don’t necessarily know it’s happened.

    • Photo: Mark Basham

      Mark Basham answered on 16 Nov 2011:

      We are lucky for several reasons, first we have an atmosphere so that protects us from a lot of bits and bobs that drop on us. Second Jupiter Hoovers up a lot of the junk that’s flying around and stops it from hitting us. Things like the Shoemaker Levy 9 comet.

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet_Shoemaker%E2%80%93Levy_9

    • Photo: Peter Williams

      Peter Williams answered on 16 Nov 2011:

      probably right now… and now….

      most of them burn up in the atmosphere, it’s quite handy for us that we have an atmosphere!

      i think they have to be car sized before they don’t entirely burn up. there is a programme dedicated to searching for these things so that we have some warning. one passed within the moon’s orbit just last week. If one approaches that looks like it may hit there are a things to do. you only need to nudge them a bit and they’d miss.

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