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Small Asteroid Making 400,000 Mile Pass By Earth
AtariKee writes "Universe Today is reporting that a small 10m asteroid, discovered earlier this month and named 2009 BD, is passing within 400,000 miles of Earth. Although the asteroid poses no threat to the planet, the site reports that the asteroid is still very interesting, as it may be a rare co-orbital asteroid (as in, shares the same orbit as Earth)."
Having NEOs in stable orbits around the Earth could be of benefit to mankind in the future as missions can be planned, possibly sending mining missions to these rocky visitors so we can tap their resources.
The Near-Earth-Objects in question are only 10m and 20m in diameter. How would it be of any benefit to us to mine resources from these? Surely it would cost far more in resources to -get- there.
Or do these NEOs have some kind of exotic resource that I am unaware of?
To invoke the inevitable car analogy, that's like saying two cars driving in the same lane on the highway can pass each other. I think, more likely, the would collide.
Space is a big place. Think of it more as if I-80, that great American cross-country interstate, wrapped around the world instead of just our little country. Even with one lane, you might never see another car. To add to that, think of I-80 as being a mile wide. The chances of hitting another car go down by a bit then, even if you happen to overtake the other car.