Asteroid 349507 (2008 QY) is around 1.2 kilometers in diameter, or around 1,000 capybaras – large enough that an impact event (which won't happen now) could be a worldwide catastrophe.
While the asteroid is traveling too far to pose any risk to the Earth, a possible impact event with it could become a worldwide catastrophe.
I'd switch, but I've been on the Capy system my whole life, and it's just much more intuitive for me. Everyone knows how long a Capybara is. How fucking long a meter is? Beats the fuck out of me, maybe a half cap?
And we'll misapply it as well. The asteroid isn't the size of 1000 capybaras, it's as wide as 1000 capybaras lined up. Assuming it's roughly spherical, it's actually closer to the size of 524,000,000 capybaras.
Asteroids can be wildly non-spherical though, in shapes way different than capybara non-sphericalities, so it's not only misapplied but likely also nonsensical... unless, it's a giant capybara shaped asteroid.
True, but we're only given the one measurement and can only assume it to be true and accurate. Even if it is non-spherical, so long as the "diameter" given is a true average we can treat it as spherical for this purpose. And, the 1000 capybaras "measurement" is still of by many orders of magnitude.
Look I think the joke is as funny as anyone else but the "unit" is an animal most of the Americans its meant to lampoon most likely wouldn't have even heard of.