Asteroid 2005 YU55

[GTsail]

It looks like we should expect a flyby from a decent sized Asteroid this week.


Time to get out the tin foil?

Will there be alien life aboard?


I haven't been able to find any good pictures, but here's one link:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/space/8494145/Giant-asteroid-heading-close-to-Earth.html

another

http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-11-quarter-mile-wide-asteroid-earth.html

another:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2011/nov/06/asteroid-yu55-course-close-earth?newsfeed=true

another:

http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news171.html


All in good fun
GTsail

 

[Dotini]

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/videogallery/index.html?collection_id=77341&media_id=119025761

....more good info from NASA....


Respectfully,
Steve

 

[PeterJB]

A that size and distance you'd need a decent telescope to see it properly. So it won't be much of a sight in the nights sky.

 

[huskeR32]

A that size and distance you'd need a decent telescope to see it properly. So it won't be much of a sight in the nights sky.

That's exactly what I was going to ask. Bummer that it won't be much of a show.

 

[Grayfox]

Wait for 99942 Apophis.

That one will be much closer.

 

[GTsail]

Wait for 99942 Apophis.

That one will be much closer.

2029?

http://www.armageddononline.net/99942_apophis_asteroid.php

Oh dear!

What will we do if Bruce Willis has retired?

GTsail

 

[DK]

^ Shoot a rocket at it, duh, and then unleash even more terror upon Earth through tiny fragments of meteor.

 

[CodeRedR51]

^ Shoot a rocket at it, duh, and then unleash even more terror upon Earth through tiny fragments of meteor.

I'd like my chances better with the tiny fragments over one large monster.

 

[Grayfox]

But if Bruce Willis can't scare the meteor with his die hard catch phrase, we could hire the Chuck Norris.

The meteor will just vaporize upon coming near him.

 

[Dotini]

The big radio-telescopes at Goldstone and Arecibo, now studying this thing, are going to get an extremely detailed picture of the object as it whizzes past. It could become a remarkable sighting.
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/videogallery/index.html?collection_id=77341&media_id=119025761

Respectfully,
Steve

 

[PeterJB]

^ Shoot a rocket at it, duh, and then unleash even more terror upon Earth through tiny fragments of meteor.

Send it into the Moon. That'll be much more fun!

 

[Dotini]

YU55 is about 4 times the size of the Great Pyramid, but is going about 50,000 km/hr. When the day comes it hits something, it will hurt.

It orbits close to all the inner planets. http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=2005 YU55&orb=1

Respectfully,
Steve

 

[Starfirebird]

Just found a video of said asteroid.It's a 6 frame movie that is just 28 seconds long.

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/videogallery/index.html?collection_id=77341&media_id=119737731

 

[Dotini]

Looks like a giant lost his golfball! Very spheroidal.

 

[PeterJB]

I'm amazed the telescope can pick it up with that much detail. With it's size and the distance it would barely be a quarter of an arcsecond in diameter.