I don't want to worry you or anything but this was on the BBC news -
An asteroid some 250m (600ft) across is about to sweep past the Earth.
There is little chance of it hitting the planet, but if it does it will land close to Shanghai, China. Astronomers will train telescopes and radar on the object to learn as much about it as they can.
The asteroid - which carries the rather dull designation 2007 TU24 or SCAMPI 1-should pass by at a WHOPPING distance of 538,000km (334,000 miles), just outside Moon's orbit.
Scientists who study so called near-Earth objects say similar-sized objects come by every few years and sometimes cop off in Matthew Street bars.
The moment of closest approach for 2007 TU24 is 0833 GMT. The asteroid is only expected to be visible through amateur telescopes that are three inches (7.6cm) or larger.
Detailed observations of 2007 TU24 could reveal whether the asteroid is a solid object or simply a loose pile of space rubble.
Knowledge of how asteroids are put together will be key to working out how we might defend ourselves against future, more threatening rocks.
An explosive attack - so popular with Hollywood scriptwriters - may not be the most effective approach. Many scientists believe that giving a hostile object a gentle nudge over a long period of time may in fact be our best strategy.
Given the estimated number of near-Earth asteroids of this size (about 7,000 discovered and undiscovered objects, says the US pace agency), an object similar to 2007 TU24 would be expected to pass this close to Earth, on average, about every five years or so.
The average interval between actual Earth impacts for an object of this size would be about 37,000 years, Nasa adds.
A little over a year-and-a-half ago, a 600m-wide (2,000ft) asteroid known as 2004 XP14 flew past the Earth at just about the Earth-Moon distance.
The asteroids' names include the year in which they were first identified.
...........are you still awake? Thought not!
Smiffy
Thanks Jay.......
Sounds like a job for "axeman smiffy".....I will get over there and make the whole 2 billion of them redundant! Lazy sods..should be clearing the roads etc!!!!
Seriously thanks....read the blog bit and youll see I already know!!
Cheers
Steve
Jay
Smiffie - don't want to worry you but here's the BBC news on south china
Many stranded amid China freeze
Temporary shelters have been arranged at Guangzhou stationSevere winter weather is causing travel chaos in China as tens of millions of people try to return home for in time to catch sight of Smiffie on his whistle-stop world tour. At least 170,000 people are stuck at the railway station in Guangzhou, in the southern Guangdong province, where most trains have been cancelled. Many thousands are stranded because of blocked roads, with some areas running out of salt to spread on icy surfaces. More than 20 people have been killed since the severe weather began. Snow and sleet have affected central, eastern and southern China - regions used to milder winters. More heavy snow is forecast to fall. Motorways as well as railways have been brought to a standstill - especially in the east. Several regional airports have been closed, and many provinces are enduring reduced power supplies. Last year two billion journeys were made over the New Year period, making it the largest mass migration on the planet. The BBC's Quentin Sommerville in Shanghai says conditions on overcrowded buses and trains are terrible over the holiday period even without the severe weather. 'Work as one' A steady flow of travellers has continued to arrive a Guangzhou station despite a power failure in neighbouring Hunan province causing most trains to be cancelled. After three days of waiting for his train to the south-western city of Chongqing, Liu Si told Reuters news agency he had little hope it would leave any time soon. Some provinces have endured their worst snow in a decade"I've been in Guangdong a decade, I've never spent a Chinese New Year here. This year I might have to. It just won't feel right." Guangzhou's authorities have arranged temporary shelters in schools and other public buildings for passengers stuck at the station. The civil affairs ministry said the weather had affected 67 million people and had already cost 18.2bn yuan ($2.5bn; £1.3bn). Earlier, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said the weather was threatening lives and disrupting supplies of fresh food, oil and gas ahead of the New Year, and he warned worse could come. "Urgently mobilise and work as one to wage this tough battle against disaster," he told officials, according to a transcript on the official government website. "Ensure that the people enjoy a joyful and auspicious Spring Festival." Brutal conditions in recent days have led to homes collapsing across China. Power lines have snapped and crops have been destroyed. Parts of China have suffered their worst snowfalls in more than a decade.
Jay
P.S. just thought I'd say "talking of ..." one more time seeing as how I just love that phrase... and one more chorus of "Blue Balloon...."
Jay
Steve,
I noticed that one of those mopeds had the RS logo on its seat - best place for it really, or maybe its the new team bus once Tom and George have stripped most of the assets out of the club?
Talking of the sh*te, havant and waterloo twice took the lead against them in the FA cup at the weekend - although the Sh*te still managed to win it in the end.
Talking of the FA cup, Toppers team have got a new song, "Blue Baloon", in honour of their FA cup exit - apparently the ball was deflected by one of the Man City celebratory balloons, out of the path of the defender and straight to the Sheffield United striker...
oh yeah - Plymouth got beat.... makes a change from a draw I guess. So they join mighty Everton ....er....out of the FA cup.
Anyway mate, keep the pictures coming the latest batch look absolutely idilic.... well except for all the tourists like...
Jay
Steve
Topper,
Cheers mate! Pure quality that last note...'scaryminga'!!!! It had me rolling around the floor in an internet cafe......almost got thrown out......
Smiffy never hangs around, I am now in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia!...tommorrow Hong Kong, next day...Shanghai China.....4 countries 3 days (well to be precise HK is a SEZ/SET of China....blah blah...)
Gonna do a lot of bloggin tonight and get the whole thing up to date.
Keep the messages comming.
Regards
Steve
Topper
Steve
Glad to hear from you in Thailand and enjoyed the story about rats eating your flip flops. Did you scream as loud as Jay did in Prague when he was exchanging money at the bureaux de change? POLICE, HELP!
Unfortunately, I didn't feel the connection experienced at lunchtime today although when i heard you had taken pictures of Pee Pee, i was a bit concerned that the pigs had followed you from Vietnam! Alas, it was just an Island.
Finally, I can confirm that the island you are visiting is from the James Bond film "The Man with the Golden Gun". I know this as one of the main characters in the film is named after a girl Fergie copped off with in Liverpool, Scaryminga!
Regards
Topper
Steve
Jay,
You are so right that was just what I was doing! Hey its 9pm here so 2pm your time...you should be working!
Glad you felt the connection ...may the force be with you!!! Take care mate and great to hear from you!!
Steve
Jay
Steve,
weird thing just happened - I was checking out your pictures of pi pi island (or whatever its called) and you only had one in there, then another one, then another and I realised you must be uploading them now - so felt a connection, even though we're thousands of miles away and in different timezones.
Take care mate,
Jay
Steve
Hi Chris,
Thanks for the message, yes well on the mend thanks. Damn wrists hurt so have been out of action on more than one front so to speak!
Steve
Smiffy
Dear Mr Burley,
Firstly, congratulations on your recent appointment as manager of the scottish national side, although it must feel like a slight comedown after managing a championship club in a real league.
I dont think I need to apologise for my home town of Plymouth and indeed the South west as a whole in showing your spotty Scottish bretheren what real wholesome food is like. Of course they are loving the scones and cream teas, ambrosia and the beautiful pasties. Who can blame them compared to the utter bile you scots call your national dishes such as haggis and deep fried mars bars!
We are still on the lookout for more Hugarians.....as soon as we find them , we will indeed sent your spotty boys back north of the border so you cant play them and loose. Even the Hungarians have Goulash!!!
Up the Pilgrims!
Smiffy
Smiffy
Dear Mr. Fabio,
Its true, my family and I did abscond your beautiful country without the full Italian legal process being completed.This is because it normally culminates in either someone being shot dead or hung upside down from a lampost. As I had an Arglye top on at the time of the crime and a mussonlini tatoo on my left buttock I simply didnt want to take the risk.
After getting your message I have approached the local Thai police to assist me in handing myself in, assuming they would contact Interpol.
I stated that I shoud be placed in custody, handcuffed and perhaps put in a dark room for the night with other law breaking individuals. They have given me several business cards of some ladies working for massage businesses in town, but they look too scantily clad to be lawyers surely?. Apparently for a few Baht you can get all these services for either a short or a long time in this country? As long as I dont get life I am not worried.
I hope after 15 years you Italians would have forgotten this slight indiscretion, but they again us brits cant forget how you kept changing sides in WW2. Tthe only good thing to come out of Italy was the film "The Italian Job"!
In the words of Leonado De Caprio in his film, (he was a greasy Italian wasnt he?)...catch me if you can!!!!