[meteorite-list] Asteroid to Fly By Earth on March 18 (2009 FH)

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue, 17 Mar 2009 18:07:13 -0700 (PDT)
Message-ID: <200903180107.SAA21075_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/features.cfm?feature=2085

Asteroid to Fly By Earth Wednesday
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
March 17, 2009

PASADENA, Calif. - A small asteroid will fly past Earth early tomorrow
morning (Wed., March 18). The asteroid, 2009 FH, is about 50 feet (15
meters) wide. Its closest approach to Earth will occur at 5:17 a.m. PDT
(8:17 a.m. EDT, 12:17 UTC) at an altitude of about 49,000 miles (79,000
kilometers).

"This asteroid flyby will be a good viewing opportunity for both
professional and amateur astronomers," said Don Yeomans of the
Near-Earth Object Office at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in
Pasadena, Calif. "The asteroid poses no risk of impact to Earth now or
for the foreseeable future."

NASA detects and tracks asteroids and comets passing close to Earth. The
Near Earth Object Observation Program, commonly called "Spaceguard,"
plots the orbits of these objects to determine if any could be
potentially hazardous to our planet.

For more information, visit: http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/

Media contact: DC Agle/JPL
818-393-9011
Received on Tue 17 Mar 2009 09:07:13 PM PDT