- Title: AUSTRALIA/FILE: Asteroid to pass close by Earth on Friday
- Date: 15th February 2013
- Summary: SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA (FEBRUARY 15, 2013) (REUTERS-ACCESS ALL) (SOUNDBITE) (English) DR ANDREW JACOB, SYDNEY OBSERVATORY, SAYING: "In the long-term they are hard to predict their position because as they pass by the earth or maybe pass by Jupiter, if they are out that far in the solar system, their orbit can be deflected, they can change direction. This one probably will chan
- Embargoed: 2nd March 2013 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Australia
- Country: Australia
- Topics: Space
- Reuters ID: LVA4I62RZJGUO0BQU35U0NN3L8S9
- Story Text: A newly discovered asteroid about half the size of a football field will pass nearer to Earth than any other known object of its size on Friday between 1700GMT-1900GMT.
A newly discovered asteroid about half the size of a football field will pass nearer to Earth than any other known object of its size on Friday (February 15), giving scientists a rare opportunity for close-up observations without launching a probe.
It is a relatively small asteroid, the assistant curator of astronomy at the Sydney Observatory, Dr Andrew Jacob said.
"It's on an orbit which is similar to earth's orbit round the sun and so every so often it comes particularly close to the earth. This time round it's passing extremely close to the earth, within about 27000 km (17,000 miles) of the surface of the earth," Jacob said.
At its closest approach, which will occur at 2:24 p.m. EST/1924 GMT, the asteroid will travel at 8 miles (13 km) per second, bringing it nearer than the networks of television and weather satellites that ring the planet.
Although Asteroid 2012 DA14, as it is known, is the largest known object of its size to pass this close, scientists say there is no chance of an impact, this week or in the foreseeable future. Nor will it be easy to see.
"Even at its closest it's too small to be visible to the naked eye," Jacob said. "It could be seen with a good pair of binoculars and you would have to know exactly where to look and how to find this thing."
Currently, DA14 matches Earth's year-long orbit around the sun, but after this coming encounter its flight path will change.
"In the long-term they are hard to predict their position because as they pass by the earth or maybe pass by Jupiter, if they are out that far in the solar system, their orbit can be deflected, they can change direction. This one probably will change its direction a little as it goes past the earth. We can predict where that's going to be, we still need to take measurements to know precisely where it's going to be in the future," Jacob said.
For scientists, DA14 presents a rare, albeit short, opportunity to study an asteroid close-up. In addition to trying to determine what minerals it contains, which is of potential commercial interest as well as scientific, astronomers want to learn more about the asteroid's spin rate.
The information will not only be useful to plotting DA14's future visits but could help engineers develop techniques to thwart more threatening asteroids.
Even in areas that will be dark during DA14's pass by Earth, the asteroid is too dim to be spotted without a telescope or binoculars. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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