You can't be Ceres-ous

February 28, 2020 10:53 AM

A comparison of asteroid sizes relative to New York City
posted by Special Agent Dale Cooper (19 comments total)

Metal Ball Studios puts out some great videos, though I think they missed the opportunity to make the human figure at the beginning look like Ben Affleck or Bruce Willis.
posted by AlonzoMosleyFBI at 11:11 AM on February 28, 2020 [2 favorites]

...or to show What Happened on Eros...
posted by dragstroke at 11:13 AM on February 28, 2020 [2 favorites]

For additional reference: The meteor that caused the Tunguska event is estimated to have been around 50 - 190 meters and would sit between the 3rd and 4th one in the video; the one that created the Chicxulub crater and likely caused mass extinctions was in the 11 - 81 meter range (between Eros and Shaposhnikov). I shudder to think what the larger ones would do.
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:39 AM on February 28, 2020

I shudder to think what the larger ones would do

isn't there a theory that the moon was formed by a massive bolide strike? so basically the answer is 'rip a chunk off the planet'
posted by supermedusa at 12:24 PM on February 28, 2020

crazy to think Tunguska was bigger than Chicxulub
posted by supermedusa at 12:28 PM on February 28, 2020 [1 favorite]

For additional reference: The meteor that caused the Tunguska event is estimated to have been around 50 - 190 meters and would sit between the 3rd and 4th one in the video; the one that created the Chicxulub crater and likely caused mass extinctions was in the 11 - 81 meter range (between Eros and Shaposhnikov). I shudder to think what the larger ones would do.

You meant 11-81 km, not meters, of course. Shaposhnikov is 92 km.

~~~
An impact calculator, for a 10km medium density asteroid at 17 kilometers per second, 45 degree angle of impact:

Results page
An 85 km or 52 mile wide crater.
Second degree burns 1000 km away.
A 9.6 earthquake.
posted by jjj606 at 12:40 PM on February 28, 2020 [1 favorite]

crazy to think Tunguska was bigger than Chicxulub

That's a typo- the bolide that caused the Chicxulub crater was around 11-81 km, not 11-81 m.
posted by gsteff at 2:09 PM on February 28, 2020 [1 favorite]

Yes, my bad. My brain said km, but my fingers typed meters. Apologies for the confusion.
posted by Greg_Ace at 2:21 PM on February 28, 2020

The Prince will roll these up, no sweat.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 5:47 PM on February 28, 2020 [3 favorites]

Huh. I thought the Tunguska event was an interdimensional cross rip.
posted by kaibutsu at 5:51 PM on February 28, 2020 [1 favorite]

I shudder to think what the larger ones would do

Bring sweet, sweet oblivion to this sick, sad world.

brb going into the back yard because I finally realized what I can use this 6th-level spell that I've been hoarding all this campaign for
posted by Halloween Jack at 6:09 PM on February 28, 2020 [3 favorites]

I doubt a mass extinction event would be as "sweet" as some people seem to think.
posted by Greg_Ace at 7:25 PM on February 28, 2020 [1 favorite]

ugh alright dad
posted by Reclusive Novelist Thomas Pynchon at 7:58 PM on February 28, 2020 [6 favorites]

You kids get off the scorched, moldering-carcass-strewn remains of my lawn.
posted by Greg_Ace at 8:23 PM on February 28, 2020 [3 favorites]

Some people are just no damn fun.
posted by Halloween Jack at 8:37 PM on February 28, 2020

I apologize; cataclysm brings out the worst in me.
posted by Greg_Ace at 9:27 PM on February 28, 2020

The Prince will roll these up, no sweat.

Unless he runs out of time.
posted by They sucked his brains out! at 9:41 PM on February 28, 2020

I doubt a mass extinction event would be as "sweet" as some people seem to think.

It will be because of the agave nectar that this 'healthier' version of the apocalypse will be sweet. If recipe blogger granola recipes are anything to go by.
posted by srboisvert at 5:02 AM on February 29, 2020

I cannot tell you how pleased I am that a post I made has devolved into misanthropy, absurdity, and Katamari Damacy jokes. I love you all.
posted by Special Agent Dale Cooper at 9:50 AM on February 29, 2020 [6 favorites]