# WTF is going to Hit the Earth within a month(?) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 26, 2015, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-going-to-hit-the-earth-within-a-month/735785 "2015-10-26T11:37:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2015, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-going-to-hit-the-earth-within-a-month/735785/21 "2015-11-04T18:03:48Z")
Sri Lanka? I wonder if Arthur C. Clarke had anything to do with it. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2015, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-going-to-hit-the-earth-within-a-month/735785/22 "2015-11-04T18:25:43Z")
Death By Reentry, I’d see that band. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2015, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-going-to-hit-the-earth-within-a-month/735785/23 "2015-11-04T21:32:51Z")
You see, about 30 years ago some friends of mine and I had a paint can full of black powder, a match and a short length of fuse. John said “Hey, y’all, hold my beer and watch this!”… If there is a guy holding the handle of WTF, that’s probably John. I hope he survives re-entry. I still have his beer in the fridge. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2015, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-going-to-hit-the-earth-within-a-month/735785/24 "2015-11-04T21:36:59Z")
> [@Doctor\_Jackson](#): > > I still have his beer in the fridge. That was damned thoughtful of you, Doc. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2015, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-going-to-hit-the-earth-within-a-month/735785/25 "2015-11-04T22:12:13Z")
It’s the meteor from [Evolution.](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0251075/) Everyone start collecting shampoo. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2015, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-going-to-hit-the-earth-within-a-month/735785/26 "2015-11-13T13:26:09Z")
Well, they’re saying that it’s going to hit today. Of course – Friday the 13th. > **[Space Debris To Collide With Earth On Friday The 13th](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/space-debris-friday-the-13th_n_56453ba7e4b08cda3488415d)** > > But don't worry. > [@](#): > > According to the European Space Agency, something is going to fall to Earth on Friday, 13 November. A mysterious piece of space debris named WT1190F is predicted to re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere at around 06:20 GMT in the skies above the Indian Ocean. While it’s expected to burn up in the atmosphere about 100km off the south coast of Sri Lanka, it is not impossible that smaller fragments could crash onto the surface. > **[NEOCC - NEO](https://neo.ssa.esa.int/)** > > Near Earth Objects Coordination Centre > [@](#): > > The second, and even more interesting result, is that the object will re-enter Earth’s atmosphere in a few weeks, around 06:20 UT on 13 November 2015. The object is quite small, at most a couple of meters in diameter, and a significant fraction if not all of it can be expected to completely burn up in the atmosphere. Whatever is left will fall into the ocean about 100 km off the southern coast of Sri Lanka. Its mass is not sufficient to cause any threat to the area, but the show will still be spectacular, since for a few seconds the object will become quite bright in the noon sky. ---
**Author:** ![JustinC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justinc/32/8083_2.png) [@JustinC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustinC)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2015, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-going-to-hit-the-earth-within-a-month/735785/27 "2015-11-13T14:09:50Z")
> [@Ale](#): > > Not directly related, but a couple days ago a meteor lighted up the night around here, [a nice, big green one.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ls1cfDPDGDI) > This was a few weeks after [another one burned up over the city during the daytime](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LToyo6U1Dqk), and good thing that it did so because it was estimated to weight over 60 tons. Very cool! Never seen one that big in real life. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2015, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-going-to-hit-the-earth-within-a-month/735785/28 "2015-11-13T14:17:24Z")
Oddly enough, hip-hop superstar Missy Elliot just hit the Earth yesterday with her new single called “[WTF (Where They From)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KO_3Qgib6RQ)”. The Earth is pleased. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2015, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-going-to-hit-the-earth-within-a-month/735785/29 "2015-11-13T14:28:08Z")
It’s now about 8 hours after reentry was expected. I haven’t heard from Sri Lanka. I wonder if it’s still there? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2015, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-going-to-hit-the-earth-within-a-month/735785/30 "2015-11-13T14:40:24Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > It’s now about 8 hours after reentry was expected. I haven’t heard from Sri Lanka. I wonder if it’s still there? 🙂 Sri Lanka, or WTF? ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2015, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-going-to-hit-the-earth-within-a-month/735785/31 "2015-11-13T15:19:14Z")
I meant Sri Lanka. It hasn’t called me in ages. I worry so. 🙂 Funny, but I thought to edit the post to disambiguate that “it’s”. But I decided the rest of the context was clear enough. Plus the time of reentry had very little uncertainty; only the location had much of an error bar attached. 8 hours later WTF would certainly be down somewhere. I figured nobody paying attention could misunderstand my “it’s”. It seems I thought wrong. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2015, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-going-to-hit-the-earth-within-a-month/735785/32 "2015-11-13T15:26:09Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > I meant Sri Lanka. It hasn’t called me in ages. I worry so. 🙂 I don’t mean to disillusion you, but…Sri, er, “gets around”, if you know what I mean. Sorry, Dude. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2015, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-going-to-hit-the-earth-within-a-month/735785/33 "2015-11-13T15:55:14Z")
Here’s footage of it coming in: > **[We have the first confirmed footage of the mysterious space junk WT1190F...](https://finance.yahoo.com/news/first-confirmed-footage-mysterious-space-141553564.html)** > > Earlier this morning a piece of space junk called WT1190F entered Earth's atmosphere and... They had to go out in a plane over the ocean to see it > [@](#): > > WT1190F re-entered Earth’s atmosphere over a patch of Indian Ocean off the Sri Lankan coast, which meant that only people located in the southern province of Sri Lanka had a chance to spot it. Looking at that map, it just missed the southern tip of Sri Lanka. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2015, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-going-to-hit-the-earth-within-a-month/735785/34 "2015-11-13T18:28:41Z")
Follow-up on Space dot com: > **[Watch live: See live views of Uranus from the Royal Astronomical Society](https://www.space.com/19195-night-sky-planets-asteroids-webcasts.html)** > > The 8-hour webcast begins at 4 a.m. EDT (0800 GMT). ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2015, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-going-to-hit-the-earth-within-a-month/735785/35 "2015-11-13T18:47:48Z")
Did any of it hit the ground (or water)? ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2015, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-going-to-hit-the-earth-within-a-month/735785/36 "2015-11-13T21:13:36Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Did any of it hit the ground (or water)? According to one-time Doper Phil Plait (“The Bad Astronomer”), it completely disintegrated: > **[Pics and Video of Mysterious Space Debris Burning Up in Re-Entry](https://slate.com/technology/2015/11/wt1190f-it-burned-up.html)** > > This morning, just before 06:20 UTC and right on schedule, a small bit of space junk called WT1190F slammed into Earth’s atmosphere at nearly 40,000... ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2015, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-going-to-hit-the-earth-within-a-month/735785/37 "2015-11-13T21:17:36Z")
Other stories seem to be saying the same thing. This one is interesting, though. I hadn’t realized that the observation plane that took the video was sponsored by the United Arab Emirates: > **[Airborne observers track space junk as it breaks up over Sri Lanka](https://arstechnica.com/science/2015/11/airborne-observers-track-space-junk-as-it-breaks-up-over-sri-lanka/)** > > Clouds prevent those on the ground from seeing the show. > **['WTF' Space Junk Meets Fiery Demise as Scientists Watch](https://www.space.com/31116-wtf-space-junk-wt1190f-reentry-video.html)** > > A new video shows images of the falling space junk WT1190F early on Friday, Nov. 13 off the coast of Sri Lanka. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2015, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-going-to-hit-the-earth-within-a-month/735785/38 "2015-11-13T21:37:26Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > According to one-time Doper Phil Plait (“The Bad Astronomer”), it completely disintegrated: > > [WT1190F: It burned up.](http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronomy/2015/11/13/wt1109f_it_burned_up.html) It worked nonetheless - I haven’t seen a dinosaur all day. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![WildBlueYonder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ce7236/32.png) [@WildBlueYonder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildBlueYonder)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-going-to-hit-the-earth-within-a-month/735785/39 "2015-11-16T14:26:53Z")
what a non event…especially on the tv news… how sad ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2015, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-going-to-hit-the-earth-within-a-month/735785/40 "2015-11-16T14:45:23Z")
You know, sometime NASA needs to launch a satellite specifically designed to put on a spectacular show burning up during re-entry. It’d be relatively cheap, no electronics, just ferrous metals and the like. Two even, one for the east coast after dusk on a Friday and one for the west. Your [del]tax[/del] lax dollars at work. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-going-to-hit-the-earth-within-a-month/735785.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf-is-going-to-hit-the-earth-within-a-month/735785.md?page=3)