Stream of Consciousness Sunday: The sky is falling

This post was so much more pleasant that I thought it would be. I had in my mind what I was probably going to write about but whether or not I have a topic, I just let me thoughts flow. I had planned to write about freak accidents and how strange things can work out if you’re simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Instead, you get a little bit of news and little bit of nostalgia (maybe) and a little bit of panic all rolled into one. I can’t wait to read your bits and pieces even though I’m still trying to catch up from last Sunday. (I do read them all!)

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This is totally off the top of my head so I’m sure I have some of the details wrong. But I think it was back in the 1970s when there was a big ol’ satellite named Skylab that decided it was time to leave the Earth’s orbit and fall right back to us. I just remember hearing about Skylab falling. That’s all I really remember.

I’ll go back and google it, of course, because now I have to know but I’m kind of curious about these satellites that just fall out of orbit. I mean, how does that happen? I kind of thought that once you stuck something in orbit, it stayed there. And if I don’t feel lik googling, I know my husband can just tell me.

It all came up at dinner tonight because I was talking about a headline I happened to glance last night. Another satellite is falling. They are even predicting the day. September 23rd, I think. Again, I don’t understand the technology that allows them to know when it will drop out of the sky yet won’t allow them to keep it in orbit or send it on its way to the nether regions of the universe.

What was kind of alarming is that they don’t know where it’s going to fall. That might not be that big of a deal because most thigns simply burn up as they pass through our atmosphere. This satellite will do the same except they predict some pretty large chunks will still make it all the way down to Earth.

SO where are these big chunks going to hit? They don’t know but say that since the Earth is 75% covered in water, it’s pretty likely that it will hit the ocean. If it doesn’t hit the ocean, it’s pretty likely it won’t hit anything. Or anyone. The stat they gave is a 1:3200 chance that a person will get hit by this debris. Those aren’t as astronimical as I’d like. So if you don’t hear from me on the 23rd, please come round and make sure I don’t have a space chunk in my house.

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This was my 5 minute Stream of Consciousness Sunday post. It’s five minutes of your time and a brain dump. Want to try it? Here are the rules…

• Set a timer and write for 5 minutes only.
• Write an intro to the post if you want but don’t edit the post. No proofreading or spellchecking. This is writing in the raw.
• Publish it somewhere. Anywhere. The back door to your blog if you want. But make it accessible.
• Add the Stream of Consciousness Sunday badge to your post.
• Link up your post below.
• Visit your fellow bloggers and show some love.

Now…

1. Grab the button

(it’s over in the sidebar)

2. Write your post.

3. Link up here.