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Missing Potential Earth-Busting Asteroid Found

Posted by Zonk on from the that's-a-froo dept.

Billosaur writes "A potentially disastrous 40-year-old mystery has been solved: Where is asteroid 6344 P-L? Back in 1960, asteroid 6344 P-L was identified and classified as a 'Potentially Hazardous Asteroid,' meaning that its orbit brings it perilously close to Earth's orbit (on the cosmic scale). Unfortunately, it then disappeared, or more precisely, was lost from view. Flash forward to 2007 and scientists believe that 6344 P-L has been rediscovered as 2007 RR9. Further, they are not sure it is an actual asteroid, but actually a comet fragment, which won't hit the Earth anytime soon but bears watching."

4 of 80 comments (clear)

  1. That Close! by treyTTU · · Score: 5, Funny

    Close in astronomic scale and we just "lost" it for a while, like, perhaps we took our eye off the ball?

  2. comet fragment by edxwelch · · Score: 5, Funny

    > Further, they are not sure it is an actual asteroid, but actually a comet fragment

    I don't know about you, but I would perfer to go extinict by asteroid rather than a puny comet fragement

  3. Re:I'm getting tired of this... by Rob+T+Firefly · · Score: 5, Funny

    Can it wait just a little bit longer? I swear I'm just about to get mod points.

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  4. Re:So close by PlatyPaul · · Score: 5, Informative
    Despite its current distance, it's important to note just how much a threat it could be. From TFA:

    [During its first observation period (as 6344 P-L), its] orbit took it within .05 astronomical units (about 4,650,000 miles) of Earth's orbit

    [It will be] making a reappearance this year as part of a 4.7-year orbit

    Yes, this year it's going to be within 0.7 AU (~6.5 million miles), but it has a closest observed approach of 0.05 AU. For reference, it's useful to know that the term AU (Astronomical Unit) is derived from an approximation of the average distance of the Earth from the Sun (which is assigned the distance of 1 AU accordingly). Additionally, our moon averages at approximately 0.0025 AU from the Earth, so we're talking about an object which has passed within 2 moon-lengths from us during observation.

    So:
    • Short orbit
    • Has passed close within the past 50 years
    • Dynamic path
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