Is this how it ends? The extinction of the human race?

[bigfoot3000]

Powerful and moving video of the end of our planet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYgEwXWilUc

We're sooooooooooo dead

[MarkRae]

That would certainly do it. The earth has been hit by meteorites many, many times, two of which (at least) are believed by some to have caused mass extinctions. We're lucky in some ways because a great deal of near-earth objects on a collision course with us are either swallowed up by Jupiter's enormous gravitational pull or broken apart by our atmosphere.

Assuming we get through 2012, doubtless we'll develop technology capable of blowing these things up before they become a threat or, at the very least, diverting them out into space permanently.

Of course, in the long-term we're on borrowed time anyway as we'll all have to be far away from the solar system when the sun turns into a red giant. Fortunately, that's not going to happen for a couple of billion years at least... ;-)

[bigfoot3000]

Thanks mark, some interesting reading here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nibiru_collision

[MarkRae]

Presumably, you mean "interesting" in the "Da Vinci Code" sense... :-)

[bigfoot3000]

Unfortunately the "Da vinci code" is at the back of long long queue of films I haven't watched yet but intend to one day!