Sky-watchers in Asia, Australia, and the Pacific islands welcomed a surprise guest earlier today: an asteroid that passed just 41,010 miles (66,000 kilometers) above Earth.
Discovered only days ago, asteroid 2009 DD45 zipped between our planet and the moon at 13:44 universal time (8:44 a.m. ET). The asteroid was moving at about 12 miles (20 kilometers) a second when it was closest to Earth.
“We get objects passing fairly close, or closer than this, every few months,” Timothy Spahr, director of the International Astronomical Union’s Minor Planet Center in Massachusetts, said in an email.
“Also, though, note these are only the ones that are discovered. Many more pass this close undetected”—as asteroid 2009 DD45 nearly did.
Astronomers didn’t notice the oncoming asteroid until February 28, when it showed up as a faint dot in pictures taken at the Siding Spring Observatory in Australia.
#29: Or we could just forget the whole mess. Declare all of this fiat currency worthless as it truly is and start all over. Wouldn’t that be neat?
As for the asteroid, I’m with Miguel that this one wasn’t that dangerous. It would have given us some interesting weather, no doubt, but no end of the human race.
I do wonder, though, whether we’re destined to meet with a “hammer” meteor at some point. Imagine an impact similar to Mercury’s massive impact. It suffered an impact great enough to thrust rock out at the opposite end of the planet. I’d fancy seeing one of the big, round asteroids like Ceres zoom by, actually. At least that would be visible and would even resemble the moon if it were close enough.
#11, Hugh,
Cow-Patty doesn’t need a flux capacitor. He has found he can substitute his left middle finger probing his colon as more than an adequate substitute.
But then he thought assteroids were those painful things growing on his butt hole.
*
Just remember kids, close counts in horse shoes, hand grenades, and a close shave. Asteroids are not in the list.
#19 – Best post here
#15 Hugh asked, “#13 When was the last time a chunk of ice was detected flying though space, apart from comets?”
Meteorites are classified into three types: irons, composed of 90 percent iron and 10 percent nickel), (representing about 5 percent of meteor falls), stony-irons, of mixed composition (1 percent of meteor falls), and stones (95 percent of meteor falls).
Probably a stone type. They tend to break up in the upper atmosphere and scatter long before they hit the ground.
#35, Cow-Paddy, Ignorant Shit Talking Sociopath, Retired Mall Rent-A-Cop, Pretend Constitutional Scholar, Fake California Labor Law Expert, Pseudo Military Historian, Phony Climate Scientist, Real Leading Troll Extraordinare, AND Asstrologist
Gee !!! I am so amazed !!! You can determine the composition of this asstroid with only the middle finger on your left hand. The professionals didn’t know what its composition is, but you do. Wow, I am just so amazed.
By the way, you never did answer the question about Joe the Plumber being better off today or after the Obama tax breaks and your “energy tax” increase.
If one eventually hits, I hope it drops in the middle east…
If the next asteroid hits us (and doesn’t destroy the whole planet), will it be blamed on man-made global warming?
The fact that we don’t have any real contingency plan if we do detect an earthbound asteroid is the real problem.
# 40 smartalix said, “The fact that we don’t have any real contingency plan if we do detect an earthbound asteroid is the real problem.”
Correct. The only possible way to handle would be with nukes. The liberal left would rather we die than use what technology we have to save Earth.
#41, Cow-Paddy, Ignorant Shit Talking Sociopath, Retired Mall Rent-A-Cop, Pretend Constitutional Scholar, Fake California Labor Law Expert, Pseudo Military Historian, Phony Climate Scientist, Leading Troll Extraordinare, and Asstrologist
The liberal left would rather we die than use what technology we have to save Earth.
Another broad brush? And which post suggests liberals would want the meteor to have hit us? Oh, right, the wing nut RIGHT.
Probrably would have been more interesting if it would have hit. 10 stories, with the right trajectory, sounds like another Tunguska. The one that killed the dinosaurs was the size of Mt Everest.
#40 Smartalix
Personally I plan to run around in circles screaming ‘Oh my god – oh my god’ until the shockwave scatters me over a wide area.
# 42 Mr. Fusion said, “Another broad brush?”
So, you support orbiting nuke missile platforms?
If we had only known about the approaching asteroid, we could have sent Bruce Willis and Ben Affleck up there to help stop it.
#42 Mr. CommieFusion…
Space crap is attracted to Earth because of increased Carbon in the atmosphere. Al Gore and the Gorebots can raise taxes on the middle class to prevent an asteroid impact. We can call the program “The Strategic Defense Initiative” or how about something catchy like “Star Wars”. I’ll even let Gore take credit for the idea.
#46,
# 42 Mr. Fusion said, “Another broad brush?”
So, you support orbiting nuke missile platforms?
I think that’s code for admitting you’re a pedophile?
I think some money should be spent on early detection of these interlopers. We have the technology and we are now aware of the danger.
Silly not to protect ourselves better than we evidently are.
I’ve never understood the argument that blasting a meteor to bits was ill advised because “some” of the pieces could still hit the earth. Big Whoop. An improbable minimum maybe versus a definite huge impact DICTATES we blow those mother up as far away from earth as possible, take our chances thereafter.
NOTE–as this meteor shows, we can be quite accurate in projecting its course. Do we know/want this thing to collide with us 1.5 years from now?
Too bad the meteor has to be “godless” before we are motivated to protect ourselves.
#50, Bobbo,
Too bad the meteor has to be “godless” before we are motivated to protect ourselves.
ha ha ha ha, oh, so very true.
I agree with nuking them in space. So what if some large chunks give a light show. The force of the blast should propel most of the pieces in all directions except the path towards the earth. Later earth orbits would get a light show.
For the biggest bang, we might want to use some of those older USSR 50 megaton Continent Cleaners. If one of those babies couldn’t do the job, then we’re screwed anyway.
One problem you’ve missed is that this asteroid wasn’t picked up until it was almost upon us. It is only once we know what and where can we figure out the rest. Even then, this one is estimated at between 20 and 50 meters in diameter. That is pretty unsure to me.
One problem though, is our technology capable of hitting a moving target, 100 meters across several hundred thousand miles away?
#51 “One problem though, is our technology capable of hitting a moving target, 100 meters across several hundred thousand miles away?”
We targeted and impacted something on a comet.
#52, Cow-Paddy, Ignorant Shit Talking Sociopath, Retired Mall Rent-A-Cop, Pretend Constitutional Scholar, Fake California Labor Law Expert, Pseudo Military Historian, Phony Climate Scientist, Leading Troll Extraordinare, and Asstrologist
We targeted and impacted something on a comet.
Actually they didn’t. They put the impactor directly in the path of the comet and allowed the comet to run it down. It also took a lot of planning to predict the path to take to put the impactor in for the impact. By having the comet hit the impactor they could decrease the speed difference between the satellite and the 23,000 MPH comet, giving them more maneuvering room.
Oh right!!! You don’t check these things out.
#53 http://spacedaily.com/news/deepimpact-05g.html
Anyway, regardless of your lack of knowledge; predicting the “path” for a collision is exactly what would be needed to hit an asteroid. The game is to reach an EXACT point in space.
Did you REALLY go to college? Did you get a science or lib degreee?
I really hate it when the spam filter stops my posts. I’m breaking this up into two pieces again.
#54, Cow-Paddy, Ignorant Shit Talking Sociopath, Retired Mall Rent-A-Cop, Pretend Constitutional Scholar, Fake California Labor Law Expert, Pseudo Military Historian, Phony Climate Scientist, Leading Troll Extraordinare, and Asstrologist
The final prelude to impact begins early on July 3 EDT (July 2 PDT), when the flyby spacecraft releases the impactor into the path of the onrushing comet.
part two, damned if the filter didn’t stop just two links.
The larger “flyby” spacecraft carries a smaller “impactor” spacecraft to Tempel 1 and releases it into the comet’s path for a planned collision.
part three
The impactor was maneuvered to plant itself in front of the comet, so that 9P/Tempel would collide with it.
Hmmm, three references, all traced back to NASA. Yup, I would think that belies your common science stuff.
So, confusion, did you get a science degree of a lib arts?
#51–Fusion==”One problem though, is our technology capable of hitting a moving target, 100 meters across several hundred thousand miles away?” // Gosh, I would certainly hope that has been within our capability for years? No evasive manuevers or change of course from a meteor. All thats needed is radar guidance and a proximity fuse. Simple, No?
This very meteor is a most excellent example of what we need to prepare for. “Within the orbit of the moon” and will return 1.5 years from now. We have been warned. We have its path and its eta. If its going to hit us, shouldn’t we blow it apart==and we have to be ready to do that.
I’m putting this issue on my calendar to check on every once in a while- – – just for fun. Its scifi stuff but real. Imagine 1.5 years from now minus two days and we get told of an impact coming and we don’t have time to launch anything against it?
bummer.
# 59 bobbo said, “We have been warned. We have its path and its eta.”
The n>3 body problem is problematic. Thus, we don’t have its path.
We need to have multiple platforms in various Earth & lunar orbits. In addition, tracking radar in similar positions.
#59, Bobbo,
Gosh, I would certainly hope that has been within our capability for years? No evasive manuevers or change of course from a meteor. All thats needed is radar guidance and a proximity fuse. Simple, No?
It sure sounds simple. In fact, these things are usually traveling quite fast by our relative standards. For the Temple 1 comet I mentioned above, what NASA did, after years of thought, was position the space craft in the expected path of the comet. The comet was moving at about 23,000 MPH faster and came up from behind the craft and literally ran it over. (sort of like a Republican slowing down the Stimulus package ;))
A big question would be, how much time do they have to program the missile to impact the meteor and from what direction is it coming.
Since we usually pick these up by seeing sunlight reflected off of them, we didn’t see this one until it was near our moon. It was just too small. At those distances, radar is ineffective as any reflection is spread over too large an area.
61–fusion==something in the time line isn’t adding up. the OP says we had 24-48 hours notice of this meteor. So–we launch a rocket in the KNOWN path of the meteor, use radar just to fine tune the approach and to gauge distance and set the bomb off. I don’t think the meteors speed is very difficult for doppler radar to measure. I doubt the rocket would actually be on an actual collision with the meteor but even that might damage the meteor enough or change its course enough to “save” the earth.
If we can land on Mars, I see no trick here at all as long as we remember which measuring system we are using?
#62, Bobbo,
I could be wrong. The problem is the distances. Using radar at those distances doesn’t work. First the meteors aren’t very reflective, second you are spreading the return over hundreds of thousands of miles. On earth, long range radar is only a few hundred miles.
Maybe NASA or the Air Force has some method they haven’t told us about. But, as far as I know, currently meteor detection is almost all done by visual observation and comparing pictures from one day to the next to see if one spot of light has moved.
Hey, I wish we could lock on when they are still 1,000,000 miles away, but I don’t think it is feasible at this time.