[meteorite-list] Small Asteroid 2016 RB1 Flew Safely Past Earth on September 7

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Wed, 21 Sep 2016 16:06:36 -0700 (PDT)
Message-ID: <201609212306.u8LN6aeF006705_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=6615

Small Asteroid Flew Safely Past Earth Today
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
September 7, 2016

[Animation]
Animated gif of asteroid 2016 RB1's close approach to Earth This animated
gif of asteroid 2016 RB1's close approach to Earth was imaged by astronomer
Gianluca Masi on the evening of Sept. 6, 2016, using the Virtual Telescope
located in Ceccano, Central Italy. Image credit: VT/Masi

A small asteroid designated 2016 RB1 safely flew past Earth today at 10:20
a.m. PDT (1:20 p.m. EDT / 17:20 UTC) at a distance of about 25,000 miles
(40,000 kilometers, or just less than 1/10th the distance of Earth to
the moon). Because the asteroid's orbit carried it below (or over) Earth's
south pole, it did not pass within the orbits of communication or weather
satellites. 2016 RB1 is estimated to be between 25 to 50 feet (7 and 16
meters) in diameter. It is the closest the space rock will come to Earth
for at least the next half century.

Asteroid 2016 RB1 was discovered on Sept. 5, 2016, by astronomers using
the 60-inch Cassegrain reflector telescope of the Catalina Sky Survey,
located at the summit of Mount Lemmon in the Catalina Mountains north
of Tucson, Arizona -- a project of NASA'S NEO Observations Program in
collaboration with the University of Arizona.

The Center for NEO Studies website has a complete list of recent and upcoming
close approaches, as well as all other data on the orbits of known NEOs
(near-Earth objects), so scientists and members of the media and public
can track information on known objects.

For asteroid news and updates, follow AsteroidWatch on Twitter:

http://www.twitter.com/AsteroidWatch

News Media Contact
DC Agle
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
818-393-9011
agle at jpl.nasa.gov

Dwayne Brown / Laurie Cantillo
NASA Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1726 / 202-358-1077
dwayne.c.brown at nasa.gov / laura.l.cantillo at nasa.gov

2016-233
Received on Wed 21 Sep 2016 07:06:36 PM PDT