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First Photos of Asteroid 2011 MD

Posted by Soulskill on from the bruce-willis-alert-level-reduced-to-green dept.

astroengine writes "At around 1 p.m. EDT on Monday, asteroid 2011 MD narrowly missed Earth's atmosphere, passing well within the orbits of our GPS satellites. Scientists worked hard to track the space rock, and astronomers using the 2-meter Faulkes Telescope in Siding Spring, Australia, managed to image the asteroid. Also, Planetary Science Institute research scientist Pasquale Tricarico put together some pretty cool asteroid-eye-view animations of the event."

26 comments

  1. Title by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    That's DOCTOR Asteroid 2011!

    1. Re:Title by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      He likes to be called Horrible these days.

    2. Re:Title by MobileTatsu-NJG · · Score: 2

      He's just a dentist, probably just checking out our gravities.

      --

      "I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)

  2. Photos... by c0lo · · Score: 2

    Proper photos or some movie clips... or it didn't happen.
    (TL;DR abstract - all I could see were some traces of light. Bruce Willis didn't bother)

    --
    Questions raise, answers kill. Raise questions to stay alive.
    1. Re:Photos... by majikthyze · · Score: 2

      Many amateurs imaged the asteroid flyby as well. I have a video at:
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCN77UZ2RUo
      The asteroid dips in brightness every 11.66 minutes -- you can see it regularly changing brightness in the video.

      Its only ~10m in diameter. I keep picturing Bruce Willis strapped to the rock in a black space suit going round and round every 11.66 minutes....

    2. Re:Photos... by Dr+La · · Score: 2

      Here's an image I took, using the 0.61-meter F/10 Cassegrain of Sierra Stars Obs. in California:

      http://sattrackcam.blogspot.com/2011/06/ot-close-encounters-of-rocky-kind-2011.html

      --
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    3. Re:Photos... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nice shooting! Made me realize how close it was.

  3. Would be fun to slap an instrument pack on this by icebike · · Score: 1

    If we could ever get ready ahead of time it would be cool to throw up a net to entangle this thing with a bunch of instruments.
    It looks to be just rocky enough to hold together and carry a signification package of radios and particle collection panels etc.

    Maybe we could brake it enough to put it in orbit.

    Lawyers ears perk up all over the world...

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    Sig Battery depleted. Reverting to safe mode.
  4. great by pask86 · · Score: 0

    good effort thank you for sharing

  5. Hit Spacebar to Fire Cannon by retroworks · · Score: 1

    Seriously, I've seen better photographic evidence on a 1980s Asteroids game. Spin the knob to fire triangle, S for Start, Game Over.

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    Gently reply
    1. Re:Hit Spacebar to Fire Cannon by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Duh, that's what telescope images look like.

      If you just want gaudy graphics, go look at the artists rendition instead, don't worry about how it actually appears.

  6. Re:Would be fun to slap an instrument pack on this by SnarfQuest · · Score: 2

    If we could ever get ready ahead of time it would be cool to throw up a net to entangle this thing with a bunch of instruments.
    It looks to be just rocky enough to hold together and carry a signification package of radios and particle collection panels etc.

    Maybe we could brake it enough to put it in orbit.

    Lawyers ears perk up all over the world...

    Ever see an instrument after it comes into contact with a rock traveling at many times the speed of sound? If there was an atmosphere to carry the sound, "thwack!" would be an understatement.

    --
    Who would win this election: Andrew Weiner vs Andrew Weiner's weiner.
  7. Re:Would be fun to slap an instrument pack on this by icebike · · Score: 1

    Not if you accelerate the instrument to match speeds.
    Its not rocket science... Oh wait, it is... Never mind.

    In any event, we've done it before. Continue your education here:
    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/space/7812623/First-spacecraft-to-land-on-an-asteroid-due-back-on-Earth.html
    http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2001/02/010214075526.htm

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    Sig Battery depleted. Reverting to safe mode.
  8. Space Lasers? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Did anyone else see the animated clip at the bottom, and immediately find themselves making the pew-pew-pew sound?

  9. And we hear a "Doh!" from Mars by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Associated Press - 2011-06-27

    A statement amounting to "Doh!" was issued today by the Martian High Command as a missile sent to Earth in retaliation for the multiple objects crashed into Mars by Earth went wide of its mark by 7,500 miles. Apparently the calibration of certain instruments was in fa'loops while others were in grelungs causing an embarrassing miss. Detractors of the High Command called for both a change to the S.I. (for System Interplaneterie) system of measurement and also for budget cuts.

    1. Re:And we hear a "Doh!" from Mars by blair1q · · Score: 1

      Unfortunately, the governments of Earth are running out of quarters, so the new high score on this game will have to remain unclaimed for another year.

  10. Who would it have hit? by blair1q · · Score: 1

    I watched the vid a few times. If it had been on a course for the center of the Earth, it looks like it would have killer-asteroided all over Burma.

    1. Re:Who would it have hit? by osu-neko · · Score: 2

      Actually, it wouldn't have hit anyone, but it'd have made for an impressive light show as it burned up in the atmosphere.

      --
      "Convictions are more dangerous enemies of truth than lies."
  11. Obligatory by mandark1967 · · Score: 1

    It's, "Whoosh" on a cosmic scale!

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    Sig Follows: "Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself." -- Mark Twain
  12. Hmmm... by Stone2065 · · Score: 1

    MISSED us by..... THAT... much... :) ...I had to say it, mod me down at will. :)

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    Stone
  13. Phuck!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    There went my excuse to get out of work early today. Oh well, 2012 is right around the corner.

  14. Re:Would be fun to slap an instrument pack on this by bill_mcgonigle · · Score: 1

    If it's this close you don't need much. A military satellite killer missile could make it up there, and those are ready to launch 10 minutes ago.

    I wonder if they could be programmed to match orbits...

    --
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  15. Re:Would be fun to slap an instrument pack on this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If you accelerate the instrument to match the rocks' speed, there is no need for the rock, the instrument will follow the same orbit. The rock is only useful as a way of saving fuel when leaving earth orbit.

  16. Almost Second Impact by Pegasus · · Score: 1

    If it would hit the antarctic, then the angels would surely come!

  17. Re:Would be fun to slap an instrument pack on this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Isn't their whole purpose to "match orbits" ... violently.

  18. Practice makes perfect by Diakoneo · · Score: 1

    We should have blown it up. Just for practice.,..

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