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'Near-miss' asteroid tracked

Date:
February 12, 2013
Source:
University of Hertfordshire
Summary:
An asteroid the size of a small office block is due to pass by Earth on Friday 15 February in one of the closest ‘near-misses’ in recent history. Although there is no chance of the asteroid hitting Earth, the huge rock is being closely monitored by astronomers, as part of an on-going program to monitor ‘Near Earth Objects’ (NEO).
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An asteroid the size of a small office block is due to pass by Earth on Friday 15 February in one of the closest ‘near-misses’ in recent history. Although there is no chance of the asteroid hitting Earth, the huge rock is being closely monitored by astronomers at the University of Hertfordshire’s Bayfordbury Observatory, as part of an on-going programme to monitor ‘Near Earth Objects’ (NEO).

Weighing 130,000 tonnes and travelling at over 28,000 miles per hour, the asteroid, officially named 2012DA14, will pass in-between Earth and its communication satellites such as Sky’s Astra satellite. Astronomers Dr Mark Gallaway and David Campbell are using high-powered telescopes to track its movements.

Mark said: “Although there is absolutely no chance of this particular asteroid hitting Earth, it does highlight the dangers of so called ‘Near Earth Objects’ of which about ten thousand of the expected one million have been identified.

“By monitoring its movements we will be able to improve our understanding of these potentially hazardous objects.”

Too faint to see with the naked eye, the asteroid, which will pass closest to Australia, will be visible through binoculars and located with the help of the University’s ‘finder chart’ at approximately 8pm.

For more information on the research undertaken by Bayfordbury Observatory, visit http://bayfordbury.herts.ac.uk/research-at-bayfordbury-observatory.htm


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Materials provided by University of Hertfordshire. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Cite This Page:

University of Hertfordshire. "'Near-miss' asteroid tracked." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 12 February 2013. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130212100424.htm>.
University of Hertfordshire. (2013, February 12). 'Near-miss' asteroid tracked. ScienceDaily. Retrieved December 11, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130212100424.htm
University of Hertfordshire. "'Near-miss' asteroid tracked." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130212100424.htm (accessed December 11, 2024).

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