# Shocking(ly wrong) science headline **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 5, 2017, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shocking-ly-wrong-science-headline/798030 "2017-10-05T16:01:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2017, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shocking-ly-wrong-science-headline/798030/1 "2017-10-05T16:01:40Z")
Perusing my Google news feed, I come upon a rather scary science article headline: Asteroid to come within **30,000 feet** of Earth’s surface next week So, Asteroid 2012 TC4 will approach Earth so closely it’ll enter the atmosphere (at that altitude, even down to the troposphere, below the cruising altitude of jet airliners). And somehow won’t cause a huge and newsworthy event. Of course, the [article itself](http://www.voicenews.com/news/asteroid-to-come-within-feet-of-earth-s-surface-next/article_10e4f0ff-430a-5d24-a662-ad823ed53605.html) is just a little different: > [@article itself](#): > > NASA is certain the asteroid, which is between 30 and 100 feet in size, but it will come close to the planet. > > “Current calculations predict 2012 TC4 will come within roughly **30,000 _miles_** of the Earth’s surface,” the station reports. “By comparison, the moon is a much farther 238,900 miles away.” Oh, “miles”. Not “feet”. A very close approach, but not a Chelyabinsk event. :rolleyes: Stupid headline. I’m not sure what “The Voice” is (in journalism), but their headline writer needs to be… something. Counseled. Shot. Whatever. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2017, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shocking-ly-wrong-science-headline/798030/2 "2017-10-05T16:16:58Z")
Look at this gem of writing. > [@](#): > > NASA is certain the asteroid, which is between 30 and 100 feet in size, but it will come close to the planet. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2017, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shocking-ly-wrong-science-headline/798030/3 "2017-10-05T16:18:53Z")
Media’s always been stupid about anything scincey. Feet, miles, same thing, really. If you aren’t aware of how orbits and such work, then one doesn’t seem any more or less reasonable than the other. While 30,000 feet is well within the atmosphere, I bet half the editors in the room did not know that. [Here’s one of the dumber ones I’ve seen.](http://sprott.physics.wisc.edu/pickover/pc/shuttle.html) ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2017, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shocking-ly-wrong-science-headline/798030/4 "2017-10-05T17:05:46Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > Media’s always been stupid about anything scincey. > > Feet, miles, same thing, really. If you aren’t aware of how orbits and such work, then one doesn’t seem any more or less reasonable than the other. While 30,000 feet is well within the atmosphere, I bet half the editors in the room did not know that. > > [Here’s one of the dumber ones I’ve seen.](http://sprott.physics.wisc.edu/pickover/pc/shuttle.html) That’s cool! Alpha Centauri in 3 months! ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2017, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shocking-ly-wrong-science-headline/798030/5 "2017-10-05T18:26:14Z")
30,000 feet would cause problems, but 30,000 miles is still pretty damn scary. As noted, the moon is 8X as distant. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2017, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shocking-ly-wrong-science-headline/798030/6 "2017-10-05T19:43:45Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > 30,000 feet would cause problems, but 30,000 miles is still pretty damn scary. As noted, the moon is 8X as distant. Indeed, now that I’ve gotten over my annoyance at that brain-damaged headline. That’s in the same general neighborhood as a standard geostationary orbit (22,500 miles).:eek: In other words, it’s going to be passing close enough to a bunch of satellites we care about that it could yell “howdy” in passing. (Except for being a non-yelling rock, and in the soundproof vacuum of space, of course.) ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2017, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shocking-ly-wrong-science-headline/798030/7 "2017-10-05T20:02:42Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > In other words, it’s going to be passing close enough to a bunch of satellites we care about that it could yell “howdy” in passing. (Except for being a non-yelling rock, and in the soundproof vacuum of space, of course.) In space, no one can hear planets collide. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2017, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shocking-ly-wrong-science-headline/798030/8 "2017-10-05T20:06:35Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > 30,000 feet would cause problems, but 30,000 miles is still pretty damn scary. As noted, the moon is 8X as distant. After a similar close fly-by a few years ago, CBS radio pundit Dave Ross remarked, with a tone of great exasperation: “. . . comet [or asteroid or whatever] came within 30,000 miles of Washington D. C. and _missed_ !” ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2017, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shocking-ly-wrong-science-headline/798030/9 "2017-10-05T20:36:44Z")
In the other extreme, there was a headline not too long ago about a “dangerously close approach” by an asteroid - with the stated distance of 140,000,000 miles! The sun is closer than that, people! I think they added about three extra zeroes. I wish I could find that one. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2017, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shocking-ly-wrong-science-headline/798030/10 "2017-10-05T20:45:29Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > 30,000 feet would cause problems, but 30,000 miles is still pretty damn scary. As noted, the moon is 8X as distant. Not that scary. 10-30m asteroid is about the same size as the Chelyabinsk meteor, and significantly smaller than Tunguska. As scary natural phenomena go, it doesn’t hold a candle to several events of the last couple months. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2017, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shocking-ly-wrong-science-headline/798030/11 "2017-10-05T22:13:08Z")
Reminds me of the [CNN anchor who thought that global warming might cause meteors to come near Earth.](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2277529/CNN-anchor-suggests-meteor-hurtling-Earth-result-global-warming.html) ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2017, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shocking-ly-wrong-science-headline/798030/12 "2017-10-05T22:23:47Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > In other words, it’s going to be passing close enough to a bunch of satellites we care about that it could yell “howdy” in passing. (Except for being a non-yelling rock, and in the soundproof vacuum of space, of course.) Echostar 3 in the Bay of Bengal, no rails. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2017, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shocking-ly-wrong-science-headline/798030/13 "2017-10-06T00:21:52Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Reminds me of the [CNN anchor who thought that global warming might cause meteors to come near Earth.](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2277529/CNN-anchor-suggests-meteor-hurtling-Earth-result-global-warming.html) Well, _that_ reminds me of my late father’s wife, who refuses to have a dish antenna on her house because it attracts harmful radiation. ETA: And remember that plowing and cultivating the vast prairie was supposed to bring rain. [“Rain follows the plough!”](http://rainfollowstheplow.com/) ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2017, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shocking-ly-wrong-science-headline/798030/14 "2017-10-06T01:56:27Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > In the other extreme, there was a headline not too long ago about a “dangerously close approach” by an asteroid - with the stated distance of 140,000,000 miles! The sun is closer than that, people! > > I think they added about three extra zeroes. I wish I could find that one. Here’s the article, but they must have replaced the breathless headline: [https://www.yahoo.com/news/nasa-biggest-asteroid-pass-earth-100348082.html](https://www.yahoo.com/news/nasa-biggest-asteroid-pass-earth-100348082.html) ---
**Author:** ![Weisshund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba8739/32.png) [@Weisshund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weisshund)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2017, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shocking-ly-wrong-science-headline/798030/15 "2017-10-06T02:29:10Z")
30,000 feet? :smack: Houston, we have a problem ---
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2017, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shocking-ly-wrong-science-headline/798030/16 "2017-10-06T06:23:09Z")
> [@Gorsnak](#): > > Not that scary. 10-30m asteroid is about the same size as the Chelyabinsk meteor, and significantly smaller than Tunguska. As scary natural phenomena go, it doesn’t hold a candle to several events of the last couple months. The Chelyabinsk meteor was as powerful as a modern strategic nuke. (Estimated 400-500 kilotons.) If it hit a city directly, and exploded at lower altitude or on the ground, it could kill a lot of people. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2017, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shocking-ly-wrong-science-headline/798030/17 "2017-10-06T07:02:36Z")
Well, we did just have [a meteor](https://www.rt.com/news/405838-meteor-explodes-china-videos/) so impressive that the RT headline begins “Great Ball of Fire!” Where? Oh yeah, it lit the sky over Shangri-La. Shangri-fucking-La, people. This is a bad sign. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2017, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shocking-ly-wrong-science-headline/798030/18 "2017-10-06T16:19:49Z")
> [@thirdname](#): > > The Chelyabinsk meteor was as powerful as a modern strategic nuke. (Estimated 400-500 kilotons.) If it hit a city directly, and exploded at lower altitude or on the ground, it could kill a lot of people. And, if the original headline weren’t so gut-bustingly wrong, it would have gotten to lower altitude. The Chelyabinsk airburst was about 97,000 feet. This meteor was predicted to get down to an altitude less than 1/3 that. OW. Absurdity all the way around in that headline. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2017, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shocking-ly-wrong-science-headline/798030/19 "2017-10-06T16:34:49Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Here’s the article, but they must have replaced the breathless headline: > > [https://www.yahoo.com/news/nasa-biggest-asteroid-pass-earth-100348082.html](https://www.yahoo.com/news/nasa-biggest-asteroid-pass-earth-100348082.html) Thanks! But they didn’t fix the mistake. The article still says 145 million miles, which is almost the closest approach of earth to the asteroid belt itself. It was actually [4.4 million miles](https://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/large-asteroid-to-safely-pass-earth-on-sept-1). I don’t know anyway 4.4 million can be accidentally converted to 145 million by any typo known to man. Plus, [it has two moons](http://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/asteroid-1981-et3-3122-florence-pass-earth-2017-binoculars)! That’s pretty cool. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2017, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shocking-ly-wrong-science-headline/798030/20 "2017-10-07T01:45:26Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > Well, we did just have [a meteor](https://www.rt.com/news/405838-meteor-explodes-china-videos/) so impressive that the RT headline begins “Great Ball of Fire!” Where? Oh yeah, it lit the sky over Shangri-La. Shangri-fucking-La, people. This is a bad sign. We are a self-centered species, and generally don’t know how much space there is, still, to drop a meteor with nobody noticing. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shocking-ly-wrong-science-headline/798030.md?page=2)