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http://planetary.org/programs/projects/apophis_competition/

"A mountain of rock and iron is hurtling towards us from space. Apophis -- a 300-meter diameter asteroid -- is still millions of kilometers distant. But in 2029, it will make a spectacularly close passage by our planet. When it does, its orbit around the Sun will be affected.

A shift of just a few hundred kilometers, and Apophis could return in 2036 to slam into Earth, creating widespread devastation."

(no subject)

Date: 2006-12-13 01:48 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] badger.livejournal.com
If it's a choice between invoking the show or Bruce Willis' _Armageddon_, I'll start watching the show now.

(no subject)

Date: 2006-12-13 01:58 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] georgmi.livejournal.com
Sean Connery did it decades before Bruce:

http://imdb.com/title/tt0079550/

The primary conflict? The "meteor" was so big that the US's satellite-mounted nuclear missiles (!) were not sufficient to destroy it, so Sean Connery has to convince the Soviets to:
a) admit that the Soviet Union also had satellite-mounted nuclear missiles,
b) accept that the "meteor" was coming, and that it would be Bad For Russia if it landed,
c) agree to retask their missiles to help destroy the "meteor"
d) allow the Americans control of the missiles, so that a coordinated attack could be, well, coordinated.

Lots of Cold War posturing by both sides, interspersed with footage of a big-ass rock rotating through space, followed by cheesy line-drawings of missiles changing their orientation from "pointing down" to "pointing up" on a computer screen, and finally the big rock getting all blowed up. Yay.

Saw this one at the drive-in. Gotta say, being bigger didn't make it any better.

(no subject)

Date: 2006-12-13 02:07 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] badger.livejournal.com
I know, I saw that one too, I just picked the more recent and therefore possibly better-known one.

(no subject)

Date: 2006-12-13 02:56 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] franktheavenger.livejournal.com
Bah! The Earth COULD explode like Krypton any day now, too! Don't bother me with your COULD, scientists! :p

(no subject)

Date: 2006-12-13 04:53 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] georgmi.livejournal.com
Nah, obscure is more fun.

(no subject)

Date: 2006-12-13 04:55 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] georgmi.livejournal.com
The _proper_ response is, "The Earth could explode? How can I help?"

(no subject)

Date: 2006-12-13 04:59 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] kickaha.livejournal.com
If you two can't play nice with the planet, I'm afraid you're going to have to go to your rooms.

(no subject)

Date: 2006-12-13 05:07 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] georgmi.livejournal.com
Hey, the planet started it!

(no subject)

Date: 2006-12-13 05:14 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] franktheavenger.livejournal.com
It's my planet, I can do what I want with it! :p