This photo shows the view from inside the dome of NASA’s Infrared Telescope Facility during a night of observing. The telescope, located atop Hawaii’s Mauna Kea, will be used to measure the infrared spectrum of asteroid 2001 FO32.
The largest asteroid expected to fly by the Earth in 2021 will make its closest approach on Sunday.
Asteroid 2001 FO32, measuring between 1,300 feet and 2,230 feet wide, will be about 1.25 million miles from the Earth. That’s 5¼ times the distance from Earth to the moon.
Quite a lot has been going on:
Huge 'near-Earth asteroid' to zip by this weekend. Here's how close it will get. - nj.com
A large asteroid known as 2001 FO32 will be speeding toward the Earth this weekend, making its closest approach on Sunday, March 21. Experts say there's no threat of a collision with our planet. NASA
A giant asteroid , believed to be as wide as the Empire State Building's height, will be zipping toward the Earth this weekend. But experts say there's no reason to freak out, even though it's technically classified as a " potentially hazardous asteroid ."
Largest asteroid flyby of 2021, size of the Golden Gate Bridge, to make "very
An asteroid similar in size to the Golden Gate Bridge will whip past our planet this weekend — the largest and fastest asteroid to pass by Earth this year.
* * *
2001 FO32 is about 1,300 to 2,230 feet wide, according to observations made by the NEOWISE mission team, putting it at the smaller end of the scale. It has an orbit period of 810 days.
The asteroid will zoom past at almost 77,000 miles per hour, or 21 miles per second — peaking scientists' interests as one of the fastest space rocks known to fly past Earth. It is "unusually speedy" due to its highly inclined and elongated orbit around the sun, which takes it closer to the sun than Mercury and twice as far from the sun as Mars.
You need to watch the biggest asteroid flyby of 2021 next week
The asteroid's closest approach to Earth will be on Monday at 12:03 p.m. Eastern. However, it will still be visible for amateur astronomers peaking out at the night sky through their backyard, or through a telescopic online stream.
In a statement released to the press, Paul Chodas , director of the Center for Near Earth Object Studies ( CNEOS ), sa y s that though the rock will be too faint to be spotted with the naked eye, amateur astronomers will be able to see the asteroid through their telescopes as it appears as a moving star in the sky.
In case you are keeping track:
'Potentially Hazardous' asteroid set to pass close to Earth on Sunday | YourCentralValley.com
FRESNO, California (KSEE) – Asteroid 2001 FO32 is considered 'potentially hazardous’ due to its large size and near-Earth path. The category designates asteroids to be watched closely.
Its path takes it within 1.3 million miles of Earth Sunday – no small distance, but still uncomfortably close as asteroids go.
2001 FO32 was discovered almost exactly 20 years ago. Since then, scientists studying it can tell it will pass far enough away to pose no problem.
Asteroids named after African American, Hispanic and Native American astronauts - CNN
(CNN) Your name up in the sky and among the stars. Sounds like something out of a glamorous Hollywood movie, but it's a reality for 27 space explorers .
Newly Named Asteroids Reflect Contributions of Pioneering Astronauts | NASA
Maunakea telescope to conduct analysis of asteroid | Hawaii Tribune-Herald
An asteroid wider than the Empire State Building is tall will make a “close” pass by the Earth on Sunday, when astronomers will use a Maunakea telescope to attempt to determine the object’s composition.
The asteroid, designated 2001 FO32, will pass within 1.25 million miles of Earth — about five times the distance between Earth and the moon — which will give researchers an opportunity to use NASA’s Infrared Telescope Facility, which is operated by the University of Hawaii, to observe the object.
Happening on Twitter
Largest asteroid of 2021 that's twice the size of the Eiffel Tower will zip past Earth THIS WEEKEND https://t.co/x26YJ7GXry MailOnline Fri Mar 19 11:32:49 +0000 2021
An asteroid similar in size to the Golden Gate Bridge will whip past our planet this weekend — the largest and fast… https://t.co/TV9QcpoiUq CBSThisMorning (from United States) Fri Mar 19 16:15:47 +0000 2021
The largest 'potentially hazardous asteroid' of 2021 will pass by Earth on March 21 https://t.co/JleX77KmPs fox5dc (from Washington DC) Fri Mar 19 17:57:05 +0000 2021
The largest asteroid to pass by our planet in 2021 will be at its closest on Sunday, providing astronomers a rare c… https://t.co/kSldDvrtDT FOXLA (from Los Angeles, CA) Fri Mar 19 17:30:10 +0000 2021
No comments:
Post a Comment