[meteorite-list] Asteroid 2001 YB5 Hurtles Past Earth

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 09:55:42 2004
Message-ID: <200201071636.IAA17451_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_1746000/1746330.stm

Space rock hurtles past Earth
By Dr David Whitehouse
BBC News
January 7, 2002

An asteroid discovered just a month ago is making a close approach to the
Earth.

Although there is no danger of collision with it, astronomers say that its
proximity reminds us just how many objects there are in space that could
strike our planet with devastating consequences.

It will pass less than twice the Moon's distance from us as the rocky body
moves closer to the Sun.

It is thought to be 300 metres in size - large enough to wipe out an entire
country if it struck the Earth.

'Potentially hazardous'

2001 YB5 was discovered in early December by the Neat (Near Earth Asteroid
Tracking) survey telescope observing from Mount Palomar in California.

Astronomers call it an Apollo object because it has a highly elliptical
orbit that crosses the orbits of Mars, Earth, Venus and Mercury. It circles
the Sun every 1,321 days.

Astronomers also add that it is "potentially hazardous", meaning there is a
slim chance that it may strike the Earth sometime in the future.

In the meantime, it will come very close to us. At 0737 GMT on 7 January it
will pass just 370,000 miles away from the Earth - close in cosmic terms.

As it approached the Earth, it was observed by the Klet Observatory in the
Czech Republic by astronomers Jana Ticha and Milos Tichy who tracked it on 5
January.

Such a "close encounter" is rare but not unprecedented. However, the only
other known object that will come closer to the Earth is an asteroid called
1999 AN10 that will pass a shade closer on 7 August 2027.

Widespread devastation

2001 YB5's brightness suggests it is a rocky body about 300 metres across.

If it struck the Earth a 300 metre object would not be a global killer: But
300 metres is more than enough to cause widespread devastation.

If it struck land it would wipe out an entire country. If the impact point
were London then scientists estimate there would be total devastation for
150 kilometres and severe destruction for a further 800 kilometres, meaning
that not only would the UK be destroyed but France
and the Low Countries as well.

If it struck the ocean the destruction would be more widespread. It would
trigger Tsunamis that would devastate most coastal cities.

Little warning

According to experts, the recent discovery and close approach of 2001 YB5
suggests that something nasty could creep up on us at any time.

Dr Benny Peiser of Liverpool John Moores University told BBC News Online:
"The fact that this object was discovered less than a month ago leads to the
question of if we would have had enough time to do anything about it had it
been on a collision course with us. "Of course the answer is no, there is
nothing we could have done about it."

Astronomers and archaeologists suspect that our planet is struck by a 300
metre object like 2001 YB5 about every 5,000 years or so, but this is an
estimate based on a hunch rather than on any definite evidence.

"It is a reminder of the objects that are out there. It is a reminder of
what is going to happen unless we track them more efficiently than we do and
make better preparations to defend our planet," says Dr Peiser.
Received on Mon 07 Jan 2002 11:36:10 AM PST