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Closest Ever Asteroid Passage Revealed

Posted by michael on from the horseshoes-and-hand-grenades dept.

tricaric writes "Another asteroid passed, last March 31st, close to the Earth. This time it was only about 2 Earth radii from the Earth. The observation have been published only a few days ago, because 'Although the observed arc is only 44 minutes, the orbit is quite determinate and, given the exceptional nature of this close approach, the object is now receiving a designation.' Check out the ORSA animation!"

5 of 52 comments (clear)

  1. It was tiny... by Selfbain · · Score: 5, Informative

    If you read the article you can see that the asteroid was extremely small and would have broken up in the atmosphere.

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    Well, it has never been successfully tested.
    1. Re:It was tiny... by NaturePhotog · · Score: 5, Funny

      If you read the article...
      You're new here, aren't you? :-)

  2. Spoon! by Elwood+P+Dowd · · Score: 5, Funny

    Another asteroid passed, last March 31st, close to the Earth. This time it was only about 2 Earth radii from the Earth.

    Earth! That's where I keep all my stuff!

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    There are no trails. There are no trees out here.
  3. This one's a whole lot closer.. by dreamer-of-rules · · Score: 5, Informative
    According to Earth Speeds, the Earth goes around the Sun at approximately 18.5 miles/sec, or 30 km/sec. In six hours the Earth will move 400,000 miles or 650,000 km around the sun. The radius of the Earth is roughly 4,000 miles or 6,500 km. So in six hours the Earth moves about 100 times its radius.

    Basically, this latest asteroid is a lot closer.

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    Everyone is entitled to his own opinions, but not his own facts.
  4. Misleading Headline by barakn · · Score: 5, Interesting
    "Closest Ever Asteroid Passage Revealed?"

    check out the 1972 daylight fireball. It came so close it actually skipped off the atmosphere. There are plenty of other close encounters in the literature that came well before this.

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    "I'm so moist I'm sticking to the leather." -Kermit the Frog on The Late Late Show