Asteroid 349507 (2008 QY) is around 1.2 kilometers in diameter, or around 1,000 capybaras – large enough that an impact event (which won't happen now) could be a worldwide catastrophe.

While the asteroid is traveling too far to pose any risk to the Earth, a possible impact event with it could become a worldwide catastrophe.

  • PetDinosaurs@lemmy.world
    1·
    1 year ago

    I don’t know how big mount Everest is. How big a mountain is is even ill defined in geography.

    They probably should have used house cats, but capybaras are unique, and current journalism is about “viral” attention.

    I also hope you don’t think that 1k capybaras are one quarter the size of Everest.

    Aside: SI units are amazing. Just only necessary for scientific use (and legal). On a day to day basis, you need to communicate. That’s the purpose.

    • lntl
      11·
      1 year ago

      i only have had outdoor cats so the house cat unit is meaningless to me. there really should be standardized international unit that everyone agrees to measure things in. using a house cat is as good as using King Charles forearm

      • PetDinosaurs@lemmy.world
        2·
        1 year ago

        Lol. :)

        Anything that gets measured in housecats doesn’t need 12 digits of precision.

        Forearms are cubits. That’s also a great unit of measurement if you don’t need precision.