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Video: An asteroid the size of a cruise ship passed over Ireland last night

But it was never going to hit earth, thankfully.

Video TheJournal.ie / YouTube

LAST NIGHT, WHILE much of Ireland was asleep, an asteroid the size of a cruise ship passed over the country.

But, before you start envisaging Bruce Willis and turgid Aerosmith songs, this asteroid had no chance of plummeting to earth, passing 750,000 miles from earth. While that is relatively close, it is still around three times the distance of the moon from earth.

It was well known that this large space rock would sail harmlessly by our planet but it gave astronomers a rare opportunity to study such a large asteroid up close.

Ireland had a front row seat for the encounter and Raheny Observatory captured images of the asteroid as it travelled through space at over 56,000 km/hour. The video sequence was taken from from the telescopes at Raheny at 10.59pm last night.

David Grennan, Director of Raheny Observatory said, “Thankfully there was never any danger of a collision with this asteroid but it reminds us that we need to remain vigilant.

“There are still undiscovered asteroids out there large enough to cause widespread devastation. The good news is that, thanks to the efforts of astronomers worldwide we can now be pretty certain that there is no ‘Armageddon’ asteroid coming our way in the near future”

Read: Did you know that the US left poo on the moon?

Read: Beaming the internet down from space looks like Google’s next project

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20 Comments
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    Mute Ned
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    Dec 18th 2024, 8:06 PM

    Mayor, leave the Lord part out of it, leave the
    Lord stuff to the British I say.

    194
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    Mute Dermot Blaine
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    Dec 18th 2024, 8:35 PM

    @Ned: yes, let’s give them back their language, roads, train lines, judicial system, parliamentary system, football, television, pantomines, Christmas traditions, parks and the county system they designed. Down with that sort of thing.

    66
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    Mute Mick Duvanny
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    Dec 18th 2024, 9:07 PM

    @Dermot Blaine: The judicial system isn’t great. Should’ve been changed years ago

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    Mute Brian Hunt
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    Dec 18th 2024, 10:45 PM

    @Mick Duvanny: The legal industry, which is well represented in the government, don’t want change. One of the conditions for the financial bail-out was reform of the legal system, the government reneged on that. The present system is extremely lucrative.

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    Mute Ned
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    Dec 18th 2024, 11:14 PM

    @Dermot Blaine: if you say so lad but you might want to keep a few just in case?

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    Mute Dominic Leleu
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    Dec 19th 2024, 7:39 AM

    @Ned: it is indeed the first priority for the “kip”…. come on ned

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    Mute Jim O'Sullivan
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    Dec 19th 2024, 7:57 AM

    @Dermot Blaine: \what an utterly forelock tugging comment Anyway, most of the items you cire were not English innovations—but then what do you expect from an Eastenders fan,

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    Mute Ned
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    Dec 19th 2024, 4:41 PM

    @H Woo: that’s a very strange question? We speak English these days,

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    Mute Jp Cleary
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    Dec 18th 2024, 8:10 PM

    Why is this article up again…. seen it 3/4 days ago .

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    Mute Alan Power
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    Dec 18th 2024, 8:13 PM

    @Jp Cleary: and you’ve seen it again!

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    Mute Brian Hunt
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    Dec 18th 2024, 10:47 PM

    @Jp Cleary: Maybe you weren’t paying attention!

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    Mute Michael Collins
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    Dec 18th 2024, 8:24 PM

    What a surprise …

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    Mute Alan Power
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    Dec 18th 2024, 8:30 PM

    @Michael Collins: no surprise, you are a stalker, with multiple trolling accounts Michele Caine lol

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    Mute Dermot Blaine
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    Dec 18th 2024, 8:36 PM

    @Michael Collins: not a surprise, you commented on it yesterday

    14
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    Mute Brian Hunt
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    Dec 18th 2024, 10:52 PM

    Should be an elected position, with real power!

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    Mute Dermot Lacey
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    Dec 19th 2024, 12:17 AM

    @Brian Hunt: It is an elected position.

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    Mute Dave O Neill
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    Dec 19th 2024, 11:06 AM

    @Dermot Lacey: Elected by who

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    Mute Dermot Lacey
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    Dec 19th 2024, 9:01 PM

    @Dave O Neill: by the same system that elects the Taoiseach. The elected ( by the people) members in the Chamber to which they were elected then elect the Lord Mayor.

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    Mute Cormac McKay
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    Dec 18th 2024, 10:42 PM

    Our 7th ceremonial powerless Mayor in Dublin City Council in 5 years

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    Mute Frank Mc Carthy
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    Dec 18th 2024, 8:07 PM

    Congratulations Emma Blain, best of luck in your tenure.

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    Mute Kevin Kerr
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    Dec 18th 2024, 9:24 PM

    @Frank Mc Carthy: last week you referred to the role as another snout in the trough. Frank the fraud. Frank the troll

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    Mute Frank Mc Carthy
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    Dec 18th 2024, 9:39 PM

    Hi brenny, those comments about that cinema in Galway were seriously vile….delighted you got deleted.

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    Mute Kevvy kerrr
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    Dec 18th 2024, 9:41 PM

    @Basildon Joe: just a heads up Joe. ..this one is one of brennys…… bren set up this one to stalk/ bully me

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    Mute Quinny
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    Dec 18th 2024, 11:05 PM

    Not on topic, but imagine trying to cross the sea for a better life and to drowned, men , women and children dieing while we eat our Christmas dinner soon and complain about things that don’t even matter. Life has little understanding no matter how old you become!!

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    Mute Alan Power
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    Dec 18th 2024, 8:05 PM

    Good

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    Mute Alan Power
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    Dec 18th 2024, 8:08 PM

    The thug who threw excrement at Ann Rabbitte should have been jailed for at least 10 years, what if it was a more sinister attack

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    Mute Freda Peeple
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    Dec 18th 2024, 8:11 PM

    @Alan Power: If you had any chance of getting your hole things like this wouldn’t bother you at all. Can only imagine the horror your mother faces when she cleans your room

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    Mute Alan Power
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    Dec 18th 2024, 8:15 PM

    @Freda Peeple: I share the same room with your ma, so make sure you do a bit of hoovering now and then

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    Mute Freda Peeple
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    Dec 18th 2024, 8:21 PM

    @Alan Power: Haha we all know there is only room for you and palm in the box room.

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    Mute Alan Power
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    Dec 18th 2024, 8:27 PM

    @Freda Peeple: aw, you OK, babby?

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    Mute Willie Marty
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    Dec 18th 2024, 8:36 PM

    @Alan Power: a very decent man according to three respectable witnesses and the judge.

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    Mute honey badger
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    Dec 18th 2024, 8:34 PM

    A ceremonial ‘pass the parcel’ between the parties. Personally, I’d rather see it have genuine executive powers. In the meantime, best of luck to her.

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    Mute Dermot Blaine
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    Dec 18th 2024, 8:43 PM

    @honey badger: maybe, but DCC is one of the most successful local authorities in the country, they do this largely by consensus, it’s not as partisan as national politics.

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    Mute Frank
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    Dec 18th 2024, 10:07 PM

    @Dermot Blaine: Still haven’t sorted the transport system though. No metro. For a city of that size, incredible.

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    Mute Brian Hunt
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    Dec 18th 2024, 10:51 PM

    @Dermot Blaine: Well, they’re big on Woke, but on infrastructure, they’re appalling!

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    Mute Dermot Blaine
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    Dec 19th 2024, 7:42 AM

    @Frank: no, they’re not perfect by any means, but better than most

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    Mute Shane Cormican
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    Dec 18th 2024, 10:25 PM

    Pink profiling she will be back for next election – good luck to her but her party will use her up and take ideals out of her

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    Mute Alan Power
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    Dec 18th 2024, 11:46 PM

    The profanity towards this woman is off the scale, Sinead O’Carroll should be utterly ashamed of herself for allowing such vitriol to be vented, but of course, The Journal needs donations, no wonder, what a rag

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    Mute Trump24
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    Dec 19th 2024, 2:05 PM

    At least it’s another shinner kept out of power.

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    Mute Todd Hebert
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    Dec 20th 2024, 8:56 AM

    Elected? I think you mean appointed.

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    Mute John Moore
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    Dec 19th 2024, 6:33 PM

    Nice to be able to say you were the mayor but in reality it means very little. The term is a year max and role ceremonial. Obviously a directly elected mayor would be a different ball game but is being held back because a number of people don’t want to cede any kind of control even though it would benefit the city.

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    Mute Blaney Richard
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    Dec 19th 2024, 5:16 PM

    Good god a lot of blue shirts on here!!as usual,do you lads not work?oh probably in the party,that makes sense!!freaks

    1
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