An asteroid bigger than an aircraft carrier will dart between the Earth and moon on Tuesday - the closest encounter by such a huge rock in 35 years.But scientists say not to worry. It won't hit.
"We're extremely confident, 100 percent confident, that this is not a threat," said the manager of NASA's Near Earth Object Program, Don Yeomans. "But it is an opportunity."
© NASA/Cornell/AreciboThis image made from radar data taken in April 2010 by the Arecibo Radar Telescope in Puerto Rico and provided by NASA/Cornell/Arecibo shows asteroid 2005 YU55.
The asteroid named 2005 YU55 is being watched by ground antennas as it approaches from the direction of the sun. The last time it came within so-called shouting distance was 200 years ago.
Closest approach will occur at 6:28 p.m. EST Tuesday when the asteroid passes within 202,000 miles of Earth. That's closer than the roughly 240,000 miles between the Earth and the moon.
The moon will be just under 150,000 miles from the asteroid at the time of closest approach.
Both the Earth and moon are safe - "this time," said Jay Melosh, professor of Earth and atmospheric sciences at Purdue University.
If 2005 YU55 were to plow into the home planet, it would blast out a crater four miles across and 1,700 feet deep, according to Melosh's calculations. Think a magnitude-7 earthquake and 70-foot-high tsunami waves.
Scientists have been tracking the slowly spinning, spherical, dark-colored object since its discovery in 2005, and are positive it won't do any damage.
"We know the orbit of this object very well," Yeomans said.
The asteroid stretches a quarter-mile across. Smaller objects come close all the time, Yeomans noted, but nothing this big will have ventured so close since 1976. And nothing this large will again until 2028.
Radar observations from California and Puerto Rico will help scientists ascertain whether the asteroid is pockmarked with craters and holds any water-bearing minerals or even frozen water.
Amateur astronomers would need a 6-inch-or-bigger telescope and know exactly where to look to spot it.
Astronomers consider 2005 YU55 a C-type asteroid - one containing carbon-based materials. "It's not just a whirling rock like most of them," Yeomans said.
Such objects are believed to have brought carbon-based materials and water to the early Earth, planting the seeds for life. The discovery of water-bearing minerals or ice would support that theory, Yeomans said.
This is the type of asteroid that NASA would want to aim for, with astronauts, Yeomans said, especially if frozen water is found. Such asteroids could serve as watering holes and fueling stations for future explorers, he said.
An asteroid is actually on NASA's short list for destinations.
President Barack Obama wants astronauts headed to an asteroid and then Mars in the coming decades. That's why the 30-year space shuttle program ceased this summer - so NASA could have enough money to get cracking on these new destinations.
As for an actual strike by an asteroid this size, that's estimated to occur once every 100,000 years or so.
An asteroid named Apophis - estimated to be 885 feet across - will venture extremely close on April 13, 2029 - but will not strike. It has a remote chance of hitting Earth when it comes around again on April 13, 2036.
Scientists said information gleaned from 2005 YU55, as well as other asteroids, will prove useful if and when it becomes necessary to deflect an incoming Armageddon-style rock.
Source: AP
Reader Comments
The animated Giff that shows the trajectory is totally wrong, or the orbit diagram is wrong.
First off, the orbit diagram shown here:
[Link]
indicates crossing Earth orbit at approx. 30 degree angle.
The animated gif, that you see in the video, indicates crossing Earth orbit at near 90 degrees, with the Earth and Moon already through the 'intersection'.
[Link]
No, no, and double no.
Within a day of Full Moon (when the Earth is between the Sun and Moon) the orbital diagram has the Earth and Moon in the correct positions.
Who was it that said there was a possibility of hitting the Moon? Richard Hoagland? Give that man a star, for he has told the truth, best he could.
But scientists say not to worry. It won't hit.
"We're extremely confident, 100 percent confident, that this is not a threat," said the manager of NASA's Near Earth Object Program, Don Yeomans.
Looks mighty suspicious to me.
Errata ----
Within a day of Full Moon (when the Earth is between the Sun and Moon) the orbital diagram has the Earth and Moon in the correct positions.
Should be:
Within a day of Full Moon (when the Earth is between the Sun and Moon) the animation has the Earth and Moon in the correct positions. The angle of YU55 through the Earth/Moon geometry is wrong.
From: MrCometwatch | Nov 7, 2011 ( about 3 hours ago )
Worldwide - but especially -Australia, Canada, UK, and US should expect some large bolides, fireballs. and meteors for the next 7-10 days.
Other regions of interest include Europe, the Middle East and South Africa
*********
I have not found anything in the mainstream media, all is 'very quiet'
I'll wager they are being quiet in thier newfound confidence to obfuscate/snow.
T minus 26:30 and counting.
there are so many different agenda's out there, but official-dom is too quiet, with exercises going, choice of wording etc., I smell a rat
Nothing to see here: Move along.
I can hear the pin drop to the floor at NASA from my house.
Is the Earth crossing through Comet Elenin Debris today? I am going to check out the night sky tonight and hopefully catch a falling star.
Should be to the Moon by 11:15 pm PST.
Rbateman...please tell me WHY I couldn't seem to find any UPDATED INFO on this asteroid this afternoon? I looked everywhere!! All info. I found had yesterday's date. Why is that?
[Link]-where you can generate an Ephemeris (for observing) is up to the minute.
But the people promoting this.....
[Link]-where the images are Nov 7.
[Link] Where the video from Goldstone is Nov. 7
[Link]- the animation used on TV tonight is dated March 10, 2011
solution date 2011-Nov-07 16:30:56 comes from this page:
[Link]
you can generate the Ephemerides here:
[Link]
from the International Astronomical Union
Meanwhile, the ABC network is all giddy over the miss and they use the animated giff file, while the JPL orbit simulator linked above nobody has even mentioned. The 2 do not agree.
What do you suspect?
As for me, I'm keeping my eye on the Moon tonight...just in case there is something not being said.
all that is available is a news item today on November 09, 2011 1:26AM ,
Sorry, Aerosmith, but the world won't need you, nor Bruce Willis, because that big asteroid that everyone was worried about didn't rebound off the Moon and kill us all.
Astronomers had aimed their telescopes to catch a glimpse of the 2005 YU55 asteroid, which at !0.28am (AEDT) made its closest flyby of Earth in 200 years..
there is just nothing, ??????,
somebody heard 2 pings and 2 dust clouds on the moon about 2 hours ago and light shaking somewhere in the USA/Canada I think
there is no new news out of the northern hemisphere, there is normally always something going on ????
Lots of [Link]shaking going on, as usual.
The Moon is still there in the sky, just looked a few minutes ago.