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This image made from radar data taken in April 2010 by the Arecibo Radar Telescope in Puerto Rico and provided by NASA/Cornell/Arecibo shows asteroid 2005 YU55. AP Photo/NASA/Cornell/Arecibo

Asteroid to pass between the earth and the moon

It is bigger than an aircraft carrier – but it won’t hit the earth, scientists promise.

AN ASTEROID BIGGER than an aircraft carrier will dart between the Earth and moon on Tuesday — the closest encounter by such a huge rock in 35 years.

But scientists say not to worry – it won’t hit.

The manager of NASA’s Near Earth Object Program, Don Yeomans, assured:

We’re extremely confident, 100 percent confident, that this is not a threat. But it is an opportunity.

The asteroid named 2005 YU55 is being watched by ground antennas as it approaches from the direction of the sun.

The last time it came within so-called shouting distance was 200 years ago.

On Tuesday night, the asteroid will pass within 202,000 miles of Earth. That’s closer than the roughly 240,000 miles between the Earth and the moon.

Both the Earth and moon are safe — “this time,” said Jay Melosh, professor of Earth and atmospheric sciences at Purdue University.

If 2005 YU55 were to plow into the home planet, it would blast out a crater four miles across and 1,700 feet deep, according to Melosh’s calculations.

Scientists have been tracking the slowly spinning, spherical, dark-colored object since its discovery in 2005, and are positive it won’t do any damage.

“We know the orbit of this object very well,” Yeomans said.

The asteroid stretches a quarter-mile across. Smaller objects come close all the time, Yeomans noted, but nothing this big will have ventured so close since 1976. And nothing this large will again until 2028.

Radar observations from California and Puerto Rico will help scientists ascertain whether the asteroid is pockmarked with craters and holds any water-bearing minerals or even frozen water.

Amateur astronomers would need a 6-inch-or-bigger telescope and know exactly where to look to spot it.

Astronomers consider 2005 YU55 a C-type asteroid — one containing carbon-based materials. “It’s not just a whirling rock like most of them,” Yeomans said.

As for an actual strike by an asteroid this size, that’s estimated to occur once every 100,000 years or so.

An asteroid named Apophis — estimated to be 885 feet across — will venture extremely close on April 13, 2029 — but will not strike.

Scientists said information gleaned from 2005 YU55, as well as other asteroids, will prove useful if and when it becomes necessary to deflect an incoming Armageddon-style rock.

Read: We are not alone – asteroid discovered in Earth’s orbit>

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29 Comments
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    Mute Stephen Duggan
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    Dec 20th 2013, 7:48 AM

    No matter how literate you may be,or how good you are at expressing an opinion I really don’t believe their are any words or phrases to express the severity and pure evilness of these figures. For any child to suffer this life debilitating invasion of their innocence is shocking and totally depraved. For almost 10k children to experience these depravities in a population of 4.5 million is disturbing and dumb founding. As parents,guardians and mentors of children where have we gone wrong in this country to be dealing with and absorbing such shocking figures ? I only hope and pray that we educate our next generation far better,encourage them to speak out,listen to and heed them.And in time we hand out prison sentences of 25 yrs + with no time off for “good behavior”.This will never undo the damage done,but it may deter others who had compulsions to commit such vile and heinous acts against innocent children.

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    Mute Stephen Duggan
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    Dec 20th 2013, 8:01 AM

    Tell ya what you coward hiding behind a false identity come clean now and tell us who u really are.Oh that’s right you are just as cowardly as the people who pray on helpless kids,you my friend are a complete and utter tosser.If you have issues with that send me a PM and we can arrange to meet up and discuss our issues in person,if not keep your uneducated and stupid remarks to yourself. Have you ever heard of Karma ?

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    Mute Stephen Duggan
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    Dec 20th 2013, 8:03 AM

    I said 10k,sorry meant to say 20k.

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    Mute Tom Hara
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    Dec 20th 2013, 8:49 AM

    Go away Kenneth. I have reported your comment.

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    Mute Filimín Uí Briain
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    Dec 20th 2013, 9:24 AM

    It’s so obvious it is Kenneth. I feel for him though, we should start a campaign to find him a job, he obviously doesn’t have one the poor guy…

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    Mute Richie Caldwell
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    Dec 20th 2013, 11:28 AM

    The dark underbelly of contemporary Ireland rears its ugly head.

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    Mute martin ryan
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    Dec 20th 2013, 7:43 AM

    Enda1, you are one seriously messed up puppy with your constant uneducated,spurious non-sensical comments go and talk to a professional.

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    Mute Joe Burns
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    Dec 20th 2013, 10:20 AM

    Something extraordinary happened in Ireland in 2011. I pointed this out at a press conference during the corrupt Children’s Referendum to all the major media in Ireland but not a single journalist was interested even though I provided them with all the research.

    Ireland took 3.7 TIMES more children into “Care” on a per-capita basis than the UK in 2011. Nobody batted an eyelid or asked what was the justification for this. Did Ireland suddenly become a nation of child abusers? Did our population quadruple in size? more importantly, were 4 times more people prosecuted by the DPP for abuse and neglect?

    The HSE claimed that there were 1,500 cases of abuse and neglect in 2011, the DPP had a handful of prosecution. The HSE said there were 541 “Confirmed” cases of sexual abuse of children in 2011, the DPP had 39 prosecutions and the majority of cases were from over a decade ago. What’s wrong with these numbers?

    Are the HSE, Gardai and DPP letting 500 paedophiles off the hook every year?

    Or are they seeing abuse where none exists or exaggerating the extent of the crimes? You would think that 500 paedophiles being let off would make international headlines.

    You only have to look at the recent scandals to see how inept, corrupt and dysfunctional the Child Abuse Industry is in Ireland.
    -The blue eyed and blond Roma children kidnapped.
    -The HSE trying to take babies at birth for no good reason and the High Court over-ruling the corrupt District Court judges.
    -The corrupt HSE breaking into an empty house with the help of the Garda Armed Response Unit and ransacking it while they were under High Court orders not to intervene. The parents were in the High Court when the ransacking took place.
    -The increase of unnatural Deaths in “Care” that continue to increase even after a major inquiry. A child died last week in “Care” and another will die next week.

    This is a system that’s spiralling out of control. It’s a billion a year industry that even the Government describes as “Not Fit For Purpose” that doesn’t protect any child.

    In one case of a malicious complaint, I tried to get the complainant prosecuted but the HSE wouldn’t. I have an audio tape of an HSE solicitor threatening a family solicitor that they had better “stretch out” the case to make more money as the solicitor “had children too” that could potentially be taken into “Care”, the DPP wouldn’t investigate or prosecute. I tried to report the rape of a child in “Care” and was threatened by a corrupt judge that I would be jailed for breaking the In Camera Rule. I tried reporting a paediatrician to Gardai and provided documented evidence that he had given a false statement to Gardai and had lied, but Gardai refused to accept the complaint. We have NGO’s posing as Children’s Charities who receive huge sums of money from the Govt and the Revenue Commissioners refuse to look at their charitable status.

    Any close scrutiny of the Child Abuse Industry, the ONLY growth industry left in Ireland, is suppressed by the media, they are scared of reporting. The public are drip-fed government spin with the full backing of the Media. Despite all the evidence of corruption and injustice, the public still believe the system is working, a claim that even the Government wouldn’t support. But they plan to reform the system soon. The Minister for Children will roll out the “New” Agency soon, only problem is that she intends using the same 4,000 people responsible for the current disaster. That’s not Reform Minister, that’s called “Rebranding”.

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    Mute Emily O Sullivan
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    Dec 20th 2013, 6:23 PM

    If the DPP refuse to pass child abuse cases nothing will change. It’s a sad country when young children are put through hours of questioning, they are told by everyone involved HSE & special victims detectives that they are believed. Then a one liner phone call, sorry the case wasn’t passed. No victim support offered, no reasons given. Just a child with a lot of unanswered questions … Ireland where a kids voice is still unheard.

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    Mute Joe Burns
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    Dec 20th 2013, 6:58 PM

    The DPP cant Emily and the Gardai cant investigate unless the HSE and judge say it’s ok. This is because of the in camera rule. I reported a rape of a child in “Care” to a superintendent and when he asked the HSE and judge, they refused to allow it to be investigated. If the Police are not legally allowed to investigate crime, then we have a serious problem.

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    Mute Emily O Sullivan
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    Dec 20th 2013, 7:03 PM

    The HSE took the case against the man. It wasn’t passed by DPP, the HSE, child or mother were given no explanation

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    Mute Emily O Sullivan
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    Dec 20th 2013, 7:05 PM

    It was investigated & it’s in writing that the detectives found the child to be a credible witness

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    Mute enda1... begrudgers0
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    Dec 20th 2013, 7:36 AM

    The revelations about the systematic coverup of child sex abuse by SF will bump up the numbers. The brave individuals are no longer going to be intimidated and silenced. I always wondered what raping children had to do with a united ireland, I wonder could any shinnerbot assist in answering that, or is it just the default position of blame the Brits

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    Mute Stephen Duggan
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    Dec 20th 2013, 7:54 AM

    Tell ya what “enda1… begrudgers0″,come out of the shadows,post under your real name,stop hiding behind anonymity on a website and state your opinions as yourself not a sheep in wolfs clothing. You my friend are a coward and a cretin,you wanna know who I am drop me a line anytime you want,lets meet up and discuss this in person,not talking bs on a website hiding behind a mask.

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    Mute enda1... begrudgers0
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    Dec 20th 2013, 7:56 AM

    And that my folks is the intimidation that these knuckle draggers are all about. Trying to silence people, predictable and pathetic, sick sick individuals

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    Mute Jackie Jones
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    Dec 20th 2013, 8:42 AM

    Enda are you a brit?? Can you back back up any of your “facts”? I doubt it!! I suppose when you talk out of your hole for so long you begin to believe the shit that comes out of it!!

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    Mute enda1... begrudgers0
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    Dec 20th 2013, 9:11 AM

    That’s the thing about facts is they are self evident truths. Why is it that everyone who questions SF is asked if they are a Brit. I’m Irish and I’m like the other 85% who despises this despicable organisation of evil people

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    Mute Jackie Jones
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    Dec 20th 2013, 9:39 AM

    why are you hiding then? What are you afraid of??

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    Mute Tom Daly
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    Dec 20th 2013, 11:42 AM

    That is one of the worse comments that I have ever seen on here ..This is an extremely serious issue and whilst you might find it an easy target to spout your bile ,I would even imagined that people whom and are being abused at this very moment ,would find you and your comments ,despicable!

    You might go away and educate yourself on child abuse and the devastation that it causes ..

    And just for your information …I’m not SF !!

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    Mute enda1... begrudgers0
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    Dec 20th 2013, 8:00 AM

    I think everyone should watch/ read Mary lous comment on those who cover up child sex abuse and then also watch read her comments on how this doesn’t apply to her warlord boss. Sick sick subhumans

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    Mute Filimín Uí Briain
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    Dec 20th 2013, 9:28 AM

    You seem very wound up, maybe there is something in your past and all this cover up and such you claim is happening is dragging up memories for you. Please seek help, there are people who care and will listen.

    6
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