Newfound Asteroid Will Give Earth Super-Close Shave on Sunday

[Buster's Uncle]

Watch Out for That Asteroid: Earth in a Cosmic Shooting Gallery
ABC News
By GINA SUNSERI  1 hour ago






Heads up, Earthlings. We live in a cosmic shooting gallery with a huge asteroid headed our way this weekend.

It will only be a close call -- but close enough to remind us how vulnerable we are to asteroids hurtling through space.

This weekend, an asteroid just discovered last week will fly between Earth and the Moon -- just 25,000 miles away from our planet. It is the size of a house and will fly frighteningly close to the orbit of Earth's satellites, which provide vital communications.

This asteroid, named 2014 RC, will be close, but it won't be the closest recent flyby. Astroid 2012DA 14 missed Earth by a measly 17,200 miles in February 2013.

That same day, a completely unexpected meteor slammed into Cherlyabinsk Russia, its stunning impact captured on dozens of cameras.

Former astronaut Ed Lu may seem like an unlikely asteroid hunter, but the unexpected asteroid encounters prompted his B612 Foundation to come up with a plan to spot them before its too late.

"We have the evidence these meteors have, and will continue to, hit our planet," he said. "What we need to do is find them first, and alter their orbit."

The close visit by 2014 RC is hardly a surprise because 11,000 near-Earth objects have been discovered in Earth’s neighborhood, with thousands more lurking undiscovered.

The orbit of this weekend's asteroid will take it over Australia and New Zealand, so it won't be visible north of the equator.

But there is a consolation prize: A solar flare will deliver a glancing blow to Earth's magnetic field, which means a spectacular display of auroras.


http://news.yahoo.com/watch-asteroid-earth-cosmic-shooting-gallery-163838728--abc-news-tech.html

[Buster's Uncle]

Newfound Asteroid Will Give Earth Super-Close Shave on Sunday
SPACE.com
by Miriam Kramer, Staff Writer  20 hours ago



Earth is about to have a close encounter with a house-sized asteroid on Sunday (Sept. 7), when a space rock discovered just days ago will zoom by our planet at a range closer than some satellites. But have no fear, NASA says the asteroid won't hit Earth.

The asteroid 2014 RC will safely buzz Earth at 2:18 p.m. EDT (1818 GMT) on Sunday. At that time, the asteroid will pass over New Zealand and fly just inside the orbits of the geosynchronous communications and weather satellites orbiting Earth about 22,000 miles (36,000 kilometers) above the planet's surface, according to a NASA statement. During its close pass, 2014 RC will be about 21,126 miles (34,000 km) from Earth's surface. That's about 10 times closer to the Earth than the moon.

"Asteroid 2014 RC was initially discovered on the night of August 31 by the Catalina Sky Survey near Tucson, Arizona, and independently detected the next night by the Pan-STARRS 1 telescope, located on the summit of Haleakal? on Maui, Hawaii," NASA officials said in a statement.

The asteroid will be very dim when it passes by Earth. Observers on the ground won't be able to catch sight of it with the naked eye, but, weather permitting, intrepid amateur astronomers should be able to catch a glimpse of the fast-moving space rock through telescopes, according to NASA.

You can also watch two webcasts featuring the asteroid flyby this weekend. The Slooh Community Observatory — an online organization that hosts live broadcast of celestial events — will begin their asteroid webcast on Sept. 6 at 10 p.m. EDT (0200 Sept. 7 GMT). The Virtual Telescope Project will also host a webcast featuring live images of the asteroid on Sept. 6 starting at 6 p.m. EDT (2200 GMT).

At its close approach, the 60-foot (20 meters) asteroid will fly about 25,000 miles (40,000 km) from the center of Earth. The average radius of the Earth (the distance from the center of the planet to its surface) is about 3,959 miles (6,371 km).

The speedy asteroid isn't a threat to satellites orbiting Earth, and the space rock could even give scientists a special opportunity to learn more about asteroids because it will be so close to the planet, according to NASA.

NASA officials have also mapped out 2014 RC's future orbits to see whether the near-Earth object might pose a threat to the planet in the future.

"While 2014 RC will not impact Earth, its orbit will bring it back to our planet's neighborhood in the future," NASA officials said in the same statement. "The asteroid's future motion will be closely monitored, but no future threatening Earth encounters have been identified."

Scientists have found more than 10,000 near-Earth objects in the solar system.


http://news.yahoo.com/newfound-asteroid-earth-super-close-shave-sunday-214219938.html

[Buster's Uncle]

House-sized asteroid to buzz Earth on Sunday
Reuters
By Irene Klotz  3 hours ago



CAPE CANAVERAL Fla. (Reuters) - A recently discovered asteroid about the size of a house will make a relatively close pass by Earth on Sunday, flying just past the communication satellites that circle the planet, scientists said.

NASA said the asteroid, known as 2014 RC, poses no threat, though at its closest approach it will be only about one-tenth the distance to the moon, or roughly 25,000 miles (40,000 km) from Earth.

Communications and weather satellites are generally located in orbits about 22,000 miles (36,000 km) above the planet.

"While this celestial object does not appear to pose any threat to Earth or satellites, its close approach creates a unique opportunity for researchers to observe and learn more about asteroids," NASA said in a statement released on Tuesday.

With a diameter of about 60 feet (18 meters), Asteroid 2014 RC will be too dim to see with the naked eye, but amateur astronomers with small telescopes might be able to catch a glimpse as it zips by, NASA said.

Asteroid 2014 RC is slightly smaller than the 65-foot (20-meter) diameter asteroid that exploded over Chelyabinsk, Russia, last year. The shock wave from the explosion, estimated to have had 30 times more energy than the Hiroshima atomic bomb, blasted out windows and damaged buildings. More than 1,000 people were injured by flying glass and debris.

The same day as the Chelyabinsk asteroid explosion, another larger asteroid flew as close as 17,168 miles (27,630 km) from Earth, well within striking distance of the planet's communications and weather satellites.

Earth's latest celestial visitor was spotted on Aug. 31 by the Catalina Sky Survey near Tucson, Arizona, and confirmed the following night by the Pan-STARRS 1 telescope in Hawaii.

The asteroid's closest approach will be over New Zealand at 6:18 a.m. on Monday (2:18 p.m. EDT/1818 GMT on Sunday), NASA said.

NASA currently tracks more than 11,000 asteroids in orbits that pass relatively close to Earth.

(Editing by Sandra Maler)


http://news.yahoo.com/house-sized-asteroid-buzz-earth-sunday-215022299.html