So, do you think there is any connection between this:
Mark your calendars! The end of the world is nigh, and we've got a specific date: the Rapture will occur on 21 May, 2011, and the world ends on 21 October 2011. How do we know this? As near as I can tell, it's pure numerology...
and this:
That Killer Asteroid You Heard About Yesterday? We Knew About It Last Year
... there's a giant asteroid out there called 1999 RQ36, and there's a small chance it might hit us ...
Certainly not, but both are interesting reads.
NEO: (2009 BD)
Close-Approach Date: 2011-Jun-02 about 1am UTC
Miss Distance, the most likely possible miss distance given in LD (Lunar Distance) and AU:
0.9LD 0.0023AU
V relative, Object velocity relative to Earth at close-approach: 1.91 (on the slow side)
N-sig, The factor by which the target-plane error ellipse must be scaled to allow for an Earth grazing impact: 4.17e+04
H, Asteroid absolute V-magnitude: 28.3 (near average)
Will pass within ~346,000 kilometers (using an average LD value). That is also the closest pass of all known calculated NEOs for the next year. Somewhat rare.
Still, not exactly at close call.
Bruce Willis and Ben Affleck will save us.
Phil Plait! Paging Phil Plait!