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I think your metric conversions are a little off. Your earlier statements suggested a 300 mile asteroid couldn't even exist, when there are several, including one nearly twice that size. Of course, Texas is about 808 miles (N/S) X 778 miles (E/W), which is a couple hundred miles bigger than Ceres, but there are at least 7 moons and every planet is bigger than Texas by 300+ miles (using your metric numbers for Pluto, it's about 1400 miles in diameter, and it's smaller than almost any of the major satellites-- not counting its own). Furthermore, there are a LOT of asteroids which are bigger than the lesser satellites in the solar system. In fact, Mars' moons are so small that many scientists think they are nothing more than captured asteroids. To claim that an asteroid the size of Texas has to be a planet is exaggerating quite a bit-- hell, it's not even a very big satellite. But you are correct about the spherical shape of bodies with such large masses. That was certainly inaccurate on "Armageddon's" part. But frankly, I believe most laypeople would have trouble fathoming an asteroid in spherical shape, so that's another example of Hollywood feeding the masses (you do realize their only purpose is to make money, right? If you want a documentary, watch "Nova.") And yes, blowing up an asteroid the size of Texas or even the size of Rhode Island with a nuclear device the size used in the movie is virtually impossible (you're right-- we might as well try to blow up the moon). But once again, if you want a documentary, watch "Nova." It's the exact same thing I tell people who complain about movies that are "historically inaccurate." Hollywood has to make movies that awestrike average people-- 6 mile wide asteroids may not get the job done. 600 mile wide asteroids definitely will. You offend the few (Slim and skilly) to bring in the masses.
And I really don't have a lot of respect for scientists who don't believe an asteroid is primarily responsible for finishing the dinosaurs off. We found the freakin' crater, which is exactly the same age as when the dinosaurs (and many other species) disappeared from the earth and a layer of iridium appeared worldwide (65 million years BC). What the hell do they want-- God himself to come out of the sky and knock them over the head with another asteroid? As Heston said, it's happened before and it'll happen again. Remember what Krakatoa did-- a little baby volcano explosion clouded the earth with dust for two years. Imagine what a non-terrestial created explosion will do.
C. F. L.
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