Dawn and Vesta

We started this blog at an interesting time in relation to major asteroid news. Yesterday Dawn, a NASA probe, hopefully began orbiting Vesta.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43777165/ns/technology_and_science-space/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/destination-asteroid-nasa-probe-arrives-at-ancient-mini-moon/2011/07/15/gIQAsOxdGI_story.html

Vesta is interesting because of what it could reveal about the origins of the solar system and our planet. Had Vesta not been affected by Jupiter's gravity sometime after its formation, we would have another planet in our solar system instead of the largest asteroid in the asteroid belt.

Asteroid Card of the Day

Hitting the debt ceiling can’t be as bad as an asteroid or Obama would have compromised by now

Hot Air 7/14/11 (“ If default would be a catastrophe, why is Obama opposed to a short-term deal that would avert it? ” http://hotair.com/archives/2011/07/14/if-default-would-be-a-catastrophe-why-is-obama-opposed-to-a-short-term-deal-that-would-avert-it/)

 I tossed that question out on Twitter this morning and no one had an answer. Verum Serum and Ace have been thinking the same thing and they don’t have answers either. Simple question: If, as the White House insists, hitting the debt ceiling would be the economic equivalent of an asteroid hitting the Earth, and if the only way to avoid that (i.e. the only way to get something through the House) is with a scaled-down bill that would raise the ceiling only until mid-2012, why isn’t the Lightbringer okay with that? Granted, it would mean he’d have to face another asteroid next year in the middle of the campaign, but so what? How is that a reason to let this asteroid hit right now?