Asteroid to whiz past Earth Friday | Inquirer News

Asteroid to whiz past Earth Friday

/ 03:46 PM February 15, 2013

This image provided by NASA/JPL-Caltech shows a simulation of asteroid 2012 DA14 approaching from the south as it passes through the Earth-moon system on Feb. 15, 2013. The 150-foot object will pass within 17,000 miles of the Earth. NASA scientists insist there is absolutely no chance of a collision as it passes. (AP Photo/NASA/JPL-Caltech)

BOSTON – NASA is keeping close tabs on a sizable asteroid set to whiz past our planet Friday in what the US space agency says is the closest flyby ever predicted for such a large object.

About 150 feet (45 meters) in diameter, the asteroid — dubbed 2012 DA 14 — is expected to pass about 17,200 miles (27,000 kilometers) above the Earth at the time of closest approach, about 2:25 pm EST (1925 GMT), NASA said.

Article continues after this advertisement

“This distance is well away from Earth and the swarm of low Earth-orbiting satellites, including the International Space Station,” it said in a statement on its website.

FEATURED STORIES

Still, “the flyby of 2012 DA14 is the closest-ever predicted approach to Earth for an object this large.”

The space agency insisted there was nothing to fear.

Article continues after this advertisement

“NASA places a high priority on tracking asteroids and protecting our home planet from them,” it said.

Article continues after this advertisement

The asteroid will be visible in eastern Europe, Australia and Asia, according to astronomers, and NASA noted the flyby will provide a “unique opportunity for researchers to study a near-Earth object up close.”

Article continues after this advertisement

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California planned a half-hour broadcast incorporating real-time animation to show the asteroid’s location.

Meanwhile, the Goldstone Solar System Radar, located in California’s Mojave Desert, was poised to take radar images of the asteroid over the coming days to determine its exact size and shape.

Article continues after this advertisement

The 2012 DA 14 was discovered by chance by astronomers after passing nearby last February.

NASA estimates a smallish asteroid like 2012 DA 14 flies close to the Earth every 40 years, on average, but only hits our planet once every 1,200 years.

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our daily newsletter

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

Astronomers have detected some 9,500 celestial bodies of various sizes that pass near Earth, but they estimate that’s only a tenth of what’s out there.

TAGS: Asteroid, astronomy, News, Space, world

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our newsletter!

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

© Copyright 1997-2024 INQUIRER.net | All Rights Reserved

This is an information message

We use cookies to enhance your experience. By continuing, you agree to our use of cookies. Learn more here.