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Bright Asteroid Visible Tonight

Posted by michael on from the step-away-from-the-computer dept.

Ender, Duke_of_URL writes: "NASA is reporting that 1998 WT24, a near Earth asteroid, will be easily visible (9th magnitude) to telescopes in Auriga and Perseus. This NEO will be passing within 5 lunar distances to Earth, so there's no danger of collision."

14 comments

  1. Telescopes? by Oily+Tuna · · Score: 1, Funny

    telescopes in Auriga and Perseus

    Where are they? Greece?

    --
    Mmmmmmm ... sushi.
    1. Re:Telescopes? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nay, they be not in the relm of life and death. Rather, they live in the hearts of men 'round the world, waiting for a day when their celistial position aids the lonely traveller of the skies make quick his searching and find, fair and true, the heavenly light which intoxicates him so.

    2. Re:Telescopes? by Oily+Tuna · · Score: 0


      Wales?

      --
      Mmmmmmm ... sushi.
  2. Whoops! by fm6 · · Score: 4, Informative
    This NEO will be passing within 5 lunar distances to Earth, so there's no danger of collision.
    Sloppy English is all part of the Slashdot experience, but in this case it just won't do. "Five lunar distances" is only 0.015 AUs. The NEO people at JPL consider a collision possible if the rock is predicted to pass within 0.05 AUs. Of course that possibility is still very very small, but it ain't zero.
    1. Re:Whoops! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      The "no danger of collision" quote comes from NASA as does the 0.05AU critereon on the same page.
      Slashdot is blameless this time.

    2. Re:Whoops! by PhuCknuT · · Score: 1

      IIRC, that 0.05 AU is in regards to long term danger, not a danger on this orbit.

    3. Re:Whoops! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      IIRC? I suppose you meant "IIRTACPC": If I Read The AC Post Correctly.

  3. What are you smoking? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    The distance for a collision is by definition Earth's radius, which is 0.0166 lunar distances. The "twenty lunar distances" rule you're talking about is for long term probabilities of a collision over many many orbits.

  4. <sigh> by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You can never please them all - I wanted it to be short. Shoulda read "telescopes, in the constellations of Auriga and Perseus".

    I wanted to give you an idea of where to look if you didn't do anything more than read the short blurb on slashdot.

    -- Ender, Duke_of_URL

  5. it came, i saw, it was neck breaking. + some links by vikrant · · Score: 2, Informative

    i caught it with 20x120 binocs .. i was observing from quite a light polluted place in new delhi on 16/12. it was very high in the sky and made the observation neck breaking!

    It was really some experience .. first hunting that quickly moving rock at the limit of binocs reach and then watch it move w.r.t stars .. and to know that before 2027, next such event (bright NEO) will only happen in 2004. :-)

    i have put my observation log and a plot of moving wt24 and stars here. the log shows some of excitement i went through. not anything of scientific value though.

    here are downloadable finder charts prepared using Guide 7.0 to make life a little easier.

    here is a MUST SEE mpeg video made by compiling the frames from a 2 hour CCD run on WT24 by Nick James

    here is great image showing 1 complete rotation of 1998 WT24

  6. What happens when one of these buggers... by Krapangor · · Score: 0

    ...hits the moon.
    Please don't reply something very intelligent like "that's more unlikely, 'cos the moon is smaller than earth".

    --
    Owner of a Mensa membership card.
  7. One word... by darylp · · Score: 1

    Praxis.

    1. Re:One word... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Praxis group albums are so different each time. Take for example the second
      album "Sacrifist" It has Zorn on a track. And it has a 11 minute Fuzzbass solo
      called Death Star by Bootsy collins. Not only that but a 9 minute organ piece
      by Bernie Worrell. Plus some industrial noise by Blind Idiot God. One track
      with Buckethead. Now Metatron is completely different its set up as a trio
      album with Buckethead Laswell and Brain. A really nice album and great opener.
      Melodic and just a kick ass song. The heavy songs are killer. Buckethead even
      does some weird type ambient shit on it. Definitely a album worth getting. Now
      as for other praxis albums well they have 2 live albums .... One is in
      Switzerland. Its quite nice it is improv show with the Invisibl Scratch Pickls
      a team of Turntablists and its quite interesting and innovative in presentation
      of sound. The other one is a show in Poland with ISP and this Praxis show is
      completely different also. IF you like Buckethead check out what he has coming
      out "www.bucketheadland.com"

      I did recently buy El Stew a project with Buckethead but it doesnt seem like
      hes in the forefront. Its more of playing in the back I guess while the djs are
      more prominent. Its ok but it needs the Buckethead touch bigtime.

      Buckethead also has Cobra Strike coming out next week which is a project that
      laswell says "has his best guitar playing ever" That alone has my interest and
      I will get it.

      One more thing Id reccomend is Bootsy Collins Sci Fi concept masterpiece with
      Buckethead on all guitars and Bootsy on the basses. It has laswell and Bootsy
      producing its called"Zillatron-Lord of the harvest" and it surprised the heck
      out of Bootsy fans. Its so different but Im sure you will like it if you like
      futuristic funk with heavy guitars in it. And it has that one of a kind Bootsy
      humor that nobody could recreate. A highly reccomended album it isnt praxis
      but damn thats one of my favorites.

      Hope this helps

      You must be a big P-funk fan if you like praxis it has 2 p-funk members in the
      transmutation lineup. Bernie and Bootsy such legends...I love them. And all
      of the Bootsy Rubber Band albums from the 70's such nice ass stuff as well.

  8. more info by CowNutsMack · · Score: 1

    here's some more info on it