Asteroid 2012-DA14 will pass within 17,200 miles of Earth at 18,000mph

the culture of deference · 03-02-2013 5:58pm #1

It will be one near-miss for man.

When Asteroid 2012-DA14 hurtles past Earth later this month in what counts as the closest of cosmic calls, US government scientists will be closely tracking its path from Nasa's observatory in the Californian desert.

the lump of debris the size of a school gymnasium that will pass within 17,200 miles of the planet at 18,000mph - closer than many of the satellites circling the planet"

Longer article here with details of new space mining companies

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/9844423/As-asteroid-heads-for-Earth-near-miss-space-mining-companies-prepare-to-boldly-dig.html

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/science/closest-asteroid-in-recorded-history-to-fly-past-earth/article4375170.ece

Mickeroo · 03-02-2013 6:02pm

Nice, how visible will this be I wonder?

Capt'n Midnight · 04-02-2013 1:01am

not very

guessing it won't be as bright as the ISS and nearly 100 times further away

toastedpickles · 04-02-2013 1:07am

transporting them back into Earth's orbit to harvest precious metals and liquids

And just say that goes a bit wrong? Then what?

Capt'n Midnight · 04-02-2013 1:16am

9:30 - 10 pm looking at it
crossing the tail of the great bear

check on sky at night website

will need small telescope with low power eyepiece

Capt'n Midnight · 04-02-2013 1:53am

toastedpickles wrote: »

transporting them back into Earth's orbit to harvest precious metals and liquids

And just say that goes a bit wrong? Then what?

you'd have to nudge it a bit

probably need aerobraking to slow it enough to enter an earth orbit

better off finding an ice asteroid and using the ice as fuel to sent it back

toastedpickles · 04-02-2013 1:55am

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

you'd have to nudge it a bit

probably need aerobraking to slow it enough to enter an earth orbit

better off finding an ice asteroid and using the ice as fuel to sent it back

Yeah maybe, but to me it just has potential catastrophe written all over it, I'm sure it would be grand and all but you never know

coylemj · 04-02-2013 11:50pm

Because it's such a close flyby, you'll need a sky map tailored to your location.

Register your location on http://www.heavens-above.com/ and they will give you a chart showing the path of 2012-DA14 on the evening of Feb 15th. Make sure your time zone is set to GMT+0 UK/Ireland.

kepler22 · 07-02-2013 2:59pm

their no point in worrying because they cant do jack **** anyway.

666irishguy · 07-02-2013 3:06pm

kepler22 wrote: »

their no point in worrying because they cant do jack **** anyway.

I've heard they have a plan to launch a salvo of Titan ICBM's straight up at a rough intercept course. Makes you wonder how many times throughout history the Earth has had a close call and humans were oblivious to the danger.

emo72 · 15-02-2013 7:15pm

this tonight guys? its looking good for it.

3ndahalfof6 · 15-02-2013 7:19pm

Would most of it not burn up before it hit if it is only that size?

hal9000 · 15-02-2013 7:21pm

and its full cloud cover crap seeing conditions, low transparency, and high humidity here in Galway(Im genuinely shocked! :pac:) not a chance I would be able to track it anyway! :P

Drift · 15-02-2013 7:25pm

Hi guys.

I'd quite like to see this but I have no binoculars or telescope near me this evening. Would it even be visible as a faint spec to the naked eye?

I have a custom star chart so I know where to look in the sky. Even a clueless, "toolless," stargazer like myself will be able to find Ursa Major and it appears to pass through it at 21.30ish.

15-02-2013 7:39pm

heres a link to the asteroid flyby

http://www.ustream.tv/nasajpl2

Technoprisoner · 15-02-2013 7:53pm

where and when should i be looking for this thing to pass?

EireIceMan · 15-02-2013 7:57pm

Heavens above is very slow, i presume due to the traffic

ScrubsfanChris · 15-02-2013 8:05pm

The One Show on BBC1 are doing a bit with NASA later when it passes, and info bits during the show.
Its on now....

zenno · 15-02-2013 8:07pm

I heard it was to pass Ireland from the west to the east (or is it from the east to the west ?) at 7:24pm in a few ? is this correct as i have a night-vision scope and video camera ready to go

Technoprisoner · 15-02-2013 8:07pm

ScrubsfanChris wrote: »

The One Show on BBC1 are doing a bit with NASA later when it passes, and info bits during the show.
Its on now....

my tv is broken

what time should i look into the sky and what way will it travel?

zenno · 15-02-2013 8:12pm

what location should i be looking ? has anyone the exact location of this pass ?

mickmackey1 · 15-02-2013 8:17pm

EireIceMan wrote: »

Heavens above is very slow, i presume due to the traffic

:(

zenno · 15-02-2013 8:21pm

Never mind, it's going cloudy now, typical. maybe next time.

ScrubsfanChris · 15-02-2013 8:28pm

ScrubsfanChris wrote: »

The One Show on BBC1 are doing a bit with NASA later when it passes, and info bits during the show.
Its on now....

They gave out the wrong info at the start or ran out of time or something, bit anoyed now :mad:

shedweller · 15-02-2013 8:30pm

Jake1 wrote: »

heres a link to the asteroid flyby

http://www.ustream.tv/nasajpl2

Seems to be tracking it now. Cloudy here as usual.

sockpuppets · 15-02-2013 8:31pm

i think its 9pm here?

http://www.thejournal.ie/live-asteroid-passing-earth-nasa-797815-Feb2013/

V_Moth · 15-02-2013 8:33pm

Had a quick look but didn't see DA14 - all the light pollution from Dublin city doesn't help. Did have a good view of the ISS and a satellite passing over from SE to NW.