I heard about this on my way to work this morning and couldn't wait to get home and turn on my computer. I knew there'd be a big fat thread on OF waiting for me, and you guys did not disappoint!
The scary thing about this is that, as Urwumpe pointed out, this thing had apparently swung through perihelion and was coming from the direction of the sun, making it very hard to spot.
This makes you have to stop for a moment and be grateful for the time we have, given that it can all end with an actual bolt from the blue, even though we are now actively looking for such threats and may have some defensive capability within a few years. All it takes is one lucky shot by something not a whole lot bigger in linear dimensions.
The scary thing about this is that, as Urwumpe pointed out, this thing had apparently swung through perihelion and was coming from the direction of the sun, making it very hard to spot.
This makes you have to stop for a moment and be grateful for the time we have, given that it can all end with an actual bolt from the blue, even though we are now actively looking for such threats and may have some defensive capability within a few years. All it takes is one lucky shot by something not a whole lot bigger in linear dimensions.