[meteorite-list] Giant asteroid to pass close to Earth Tuesday

From: Thunder Stone <stanleygregr_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue, 8 Nov 2011 15:55:10 -0800
Message-ID: <SNT117-W36E9D52F04D90349A4D58FD2DE0_at_phx.gbl>

List:

Does this increase the chance of having a meteorite fall?
Greg S

http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/08/us/asteroid-flyby/index.html?hpt=hp_c2

Giant asteroid to pass close to Earth Tuesday
updated 2:55 PM EST, Tue November 8, 2011
?Earth's close encounter with an asteroid

The closest approach will occur at 6:28 p.m. ET TuesdayThe asteroid will pass within 202,000 miles of Earth, NASA saysThe space rock poses no threat of an Earth collision(CNN) -- An asteroid the size of an aircraft carrier will pass Earth to within eight-tenths of the distance of the moon Tuesday, the closest approach to Earth of an object this size in more than 30 years.The closest approach will occur at 6:28 p.m. ET when the asteroid passes within 202,000 miles of our planet, NASA said.Follow space and science news on Light YearsThe space agency classified the asteroid as a "potentially hazardous object."?Asteroid to pass close to EarthIf the asteroid were to crash into Earth, it could cause a 4,000 megaton blast and a magnitude 7.0 earthquake, according to scientists at Purdue University. If it fell into the ocean, it could cause a 70-foot high tsunami within 60 miles of the crash site, the experts said.Podcast: Asteroid close encounterHowever, the space rock, called Asteroid 2005 YU55, poses no threat of
 an Earth collision, according to NASA's Near Earth Object Program.NASA plans to study the asteroid with the Goldstone radar antennas in California's Mojave Desert. Goldstone antennas are very sensitive radio telescopes used to investigate quasars, radar mapping of planets and comets.Astronomer: No need to worry about this oneScientists plan to reconstruct the shape of the asteroid with a resolution as fine as 13 feet (4 meters) using the antennas. Several days of high resolution operations are also scheduled at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico.Share your view of the asteroidIt will also provide a rare opportunity for amateur astronomers to directly observe an asteroid with optical telescopes.
Received on Tue 08 Nov 2011 06:55:10 PM PST