Sky watchers in Eastern Europe, Asia, and Australia will get a chance to see one very big rock hurtling through the heavens. Compared with other asteroids traveling through space, this one may seem a relative pebble - at half the size of a football field, but "this is a RECORD-SETTING CLOSE APPROACH. Since regular sky surveys began in the 1990s, we've never seen an object this big get so close to Earth."
The asteroid, known as "2012 DA14," will pass inside the ring of Earth's geosynchronous weather and communications satellites tomorrow, coming within just 17,200 miles of the Earth's surface at around 12:30 p.m. PT. But don't worry, there's no chance, NASA says, that the asteroid might be on a collision course with Earth.
Though the impact of an object this size would not be a global catastrophic event, it would surely cause massive and widespread devastation on a regional scale. On June 30, 1908, an asteroid similar to 2012 DA14 did in fact impact Earth, leveling trees for 820 square miles in Tunguska, Russia. These asteroids are serious business and could easily take out an entire city.
you are offered the opportunity
to choose love or fear,
to tread the earth or soar to the heavens.**
Emmanuel
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!
LARGEST QUAKES -
Live Seismograms - Worldwide (update every 30 minutes)
This morning -
None 5.0 or larger.
Yesterday -
2/13/13 -
5.0 NEAR N COAST OF PAPUA, INDONESIA
5.5 SOUTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA
5.6 CERAM SEA, INDONESIA
5.5 SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS REGION
5.0 SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS REGION
5.2 SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS REGION
5.5 KYUSHU, JAPAN
5.0 SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION
5.1 NEVADA
2/12/13 -
5.6 KEP. TANIMBAR REGION, INDONESIA
5.4 SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS REGION
5.0 SCOTIA SEA
5.0 SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS
5.0 SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS
5.0 CHINA-NORTH KOREA BORDER REGION
5.4 FIJI REGION
Nevada - A moderate earthquake and a trio of smaller aftershocks struck in rural Nevada near the California state line. The 5.1-magnitude earthquake hit at 4:10 p.m. Tuesday. Thirteen earthquakes — the largest being the 5.1 magnitude — struck near Tonopah, Neada. There were no damage reports.
Can New York City's Row Houses Handle an Earthquake? - Researchers will conduct a rare - if not unprecedented - large-scale earthquake simulation to determine how vulnerable New York's unreinforced masonry buildings (row houses) are to temblors.
India - Quake drill reveals major faults. With sirens at several locations failing to go off and ambulances getting stuck in traffic, Wednesday's mega mock earthquake drill to check preparedness in Chandigarh, Panchkula and Mohali revealed several flaws that need to be improved by authorities. The "mock" earthquake measured 8 on the Richter scale.
VOLCANOES -
Volcano Webcams
Volcano activity on February 13 - The pace of exhalations of gas and ash decreased to an average of less than once per hour at Popocatepetl volcano (Mexico).
Earthquake Swarm at Machín in Colombia on February 10 - A swarm produced over 210 small earthquakes in a few hours on February 10.
TROPICAL STORMS -
In the South Indian Ocean -
- Tropical Cyclone Gino was located approximately 650 nm east-southeast of Diego Garcia.
Cyclone Gino Likely to Strengthen, No Threat to Land - As we move through the heart of winter in the US, we continue to move through the heart of Southern Hemisphere cyclone season. The past couple weeks have been fairly quiet in the South Pacific and South Indian basins.
EXTREME HEAT & DROUGHT / CLIMATE CHANGE -
Australia - An emergency warning for a bushfire in Western Australia's southwest region has been downgraded, but lives and homes remain in peril.
HEALTH THREATS -
An Alzheimer's 'epidemic' could hit the USA by 2050 - The number of people with the brain disease could nearly triple during the next three decades.
More Salmonella from ground beef - Two more infections, both in Wisconsin, of Salmonella Typhimurium from ground beef have been added to an outbreak that was first reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Jan 25. Cases now total 18, with 1 in Arizona, 1 in Iowa, 2 in Illinois, 9 in Michigan, and 5 in Wisconsin. There have been no deaths.
Seven patients reported eating at the same restaurant before they became ill. The restaurant served raw beef acquired from Jouni Meats, Inc, and Gab Halal Foods, both of which issued recalls of ground beef products in late January. The CDC warns consumers, as before, to not eat raw or undercooked ground beef and dispose of or return recalled beef, emphasizing that this is especially important for children, older adults, and people with weakened immue systems.
RECALLS & ALERTS
- Taylor Farms Retail, Inc., Salinas, is recalling Organic Baby Spinach products with the potential to be contaminated with (EHEC) Enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli.
- Nestlé Prepared Foods Company is recalling two production codes of LEAN CUISINE® Culinary Collection Mushroom Mezzaluna Ravioli.
