2004 MN4 Impact Risk

 

2004 MN4 on Answers.com

NASA initially estimated the energy that 2004 MN4 would have released if it impacted Earth as the equivalent of 1480 megatons of TNT (114,000 times the energy from the nuclear bomb Little Boy, dropped by the United States on Hiroshima, Japan). A more refined later estimate was 850 megatons. The impacts which created the Barringer Meteor Crater or caused the Tunguska event are estimated to be in the 10-20 megaton range. The 1883 eruption of Krakatoa was the equivalent of roughly 200 megatons.

 

The exact effects of any impact would have varied based on the asteroid's composition, and the location and angle of impact. Any impact would have been extremely detrimental to an area of thousands of square kilometers, but would have been unlikely to have long-lasting global effects, such as the precipitation of an impact winter.

 

Based on the predicted time of impact (0.89 of a day, or about 21:21 UTC) and the fact that the asteroid would be approaching the Earth from outside of its orbit, the impact was likely to occur in the Eastern Hemisphere (time zones UTC +3 to UTC +10).

 

Haha, and it's supposed to hit us somewhere in the eastern hemisphere too (ie, where we are, UTC +10). 850 megatons is a lot of energy... And if that "tiny" earthquake in Indonesia caused a tsunami that big, imagine what this would cause, if it hit the sea!

UTC and GMT are the same but different. I think the actual time zones (hours) are the same, but they are calculated from a different time:

 

GMT is actually measured from noon whereas UTC is measured from midnight.  However, few use the noon measurement and refer to GMT as if it where actually UTC.

not gonna happen. still, i'm going to jump on a plane and go somewhere i can see the thing with the naked eye :D