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Unknown 7m Asteroid Almost Impacted Earth

Posted by kdawson on from the just-passing-by dept.

xp65 writes "A previously undiscovered asteroid came within 14,000 km of Earth — just over one Earth diameter, 1/30 the lunar distance — on Friday, and astronomers noticed it only 15 hours before closest approach. On Nov. 6 at around 16:30 EST, a 7-meter asteroid, now called 2009 VA, came only about 2 Earth radii from impacting our planet. This is the third-closest known non-impacting Earth approach on record for a cataloged asteroid. The asteroid was discovered by the Catalina Sky Survey and was quickly identified by the Minor Planet Center in Cambridge MA as an object that would soon pass very close to the Earth. JPL's Near-Earth Object Program Office also computed an orbit solution for this object, and determined that it was not headed for an impact." The article notes, "On average, objects the size of 2009 VA pass this close about twice per year and impact Earth about once every 5 years."

9 of 289 comments (clear)

  1. Hardly noticeable if it impacted by Conchobair · · Score: 5, Informative

    Seven meters just isn't all that big. According to the Earth Impact Effects Program using typical data: No crater is formed, although large fragments may strike the surface. The air blast at this location would not be noticed.

    1. Re:Hardly noticeable if it impacted by elrous0 · · Score: 5, Funny

      Well, we Americans are scared as hell. For all we know, 7 meters could be HUGE!

      --
      SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
  2. Re:How Much Damage? by dvice_null · · Score: 5, Informative

    It would most likely bursts into a cloud of fragments at an altitude of 8980 meters. Minor local damage might occur if a larger fragment happens to hit a house.

    http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/impacteffects/cgi-bin/crater.cgi?dist=0.001&diam=7&pdens=&pdens_select=8000&vel=17&theta=45&tdens=2500&tdens_select=0

  3. Re:LHC by FauxPasIII · · Score: 5, Funny

    Are you kidding? That thing can't even stand up to a bird with a bagel.

    --
    25% Funny, 25% Insightful, 25% Informative, 25% Troll
  4. Re:How Much Damage? by olsmeister · · Score: 5, Informative

    You can use this site to get an estimate.

  5. You are all missing the *real* point... by ground.zero.612 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Join the Mobile Infantry and save the Galaxy. Service guarantees citizenship. Would you like to know more?

    --
    "Be prepared, son. That's my motto. Be prepared." --Joe Hallenbeck
  6. Re:How Much Damage? by Hognoxious · · Score: 5, Funny

    Would it penetrate through to basement depth? If not most people here wouldn't notice till the next meal didn't show up.

    --
    Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
  7. Re:How Much Damage? by kestasjk · · Score: 5, Funny

    I think the official name is a "Basement Level Event"

    --
    // MD_Update(&m,buf,j);
  8. 8980 meters, eh? by Tsar · · Score: 5, Funny

    It would most likely bursts into a cloud of fragments at an altitude of 8980 meters. Minor local damage might occur if a larger fragment happens to hit a house.

    http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/impacteffects/cgi-bin/crater.cgi?dist=0.001&diam=7&pdens=&pdens_select=8000&vel=17&theta=45&tdens=2500&tdens_select=0

    Thanks for not rounding that off to "nine kilometers" or even "about 10 km" as some less mathematically-inclined contributors would have done. If you've laboriously and precisely calculated that 2009 AV is exactly 7.000 meters in diameter, has a density of 8.000 g/cm3 and will hit the atmosphere at a 45.00 degree angle at exactly 17.00 km/s, why give up that hard-earned precision in your result?