Expensive asteroid will miss us today!

[The Admiral]

Just seen this about 2011 UW-158 on the news feeds, for example: http://www.rt.com/news/310170-platinum-asteroid-2011-uw-158/

You can image the asteroid mining companies drooling over this, supposedly containing £3.5 trillion worth of platinum!

Ian

[ronin]

Why do they describe the distance in these things as:

"It will be 30 times closer to Earth than the closest planet of the Solar system."

30 times is more then the closest planet, not less.

I know they mean 1/30 of the distance but there is a slight difference between 30x and 1/30.

If your bank said they guaranteed an interest rate of 30x the amount invested and you got just 1/30 you are not going to say that's OK.

[Scott]

Why do they describe the distance in these things as:

"It will be 30 times closer to Earth than the closest planet of the Solar system."

30 times is more then the closest planet, not less.

I know they mean 1/30 of the distance but there is a slight difference between 30x and 1/30.

If your bank said they guaranteed an interest rate of 30x the amount invested and you got just 1/30 you are not going to say that's OK.

If thats the biggest thing you've got to worry about on this sunny Sunday morn, you've got nowt to worry about Ronin.......Have a coffee mate and unwind

[Joe12345]

Would an 8" scope be big enough to see it? On the news it says Impossible to see with the naked eye', so does that mean it will be visible through my scope? It would be quite exciting to see an asteroid made of platinum!

If so where would it be?

[niallk]

If so where would it be?

... behind the clouds ...

Sorry haven't been able to get the scope out in well over a month now with the weather...

[Mr Spock]

There was me hoping for a hit...

[The Admiral]

The SLOOH community observatory will be streaming it live, apparently. Though not quite the same as using your own gear.

Ian

Edit. All I can find is that has an absolute mag of 19.4, and a lightcurve amplitude of mag 0.5 (whatever that means). See http://echo.jpl.nasa.gov/asteroids/2011UW158/2011UW158_planning.html

[lukebl]

So now's not the time to invest in Platinum futures. With the market potentially flooded with 90 million tons of the stuff, prices will plummet!

[Knight of Clear Skies]

If humanity is someday wiped out by an asteroid I guess it would be a shame if it was by a cheap one....

[LukeSkywatcher]

I caught my platinum card using the phone this morning. I think it was trying to phone home.

[luna]

Price of platinum has fallen sharply. Currently at £630 an ounce. Gold is £700.

Not worth mining at the moment. Wait a few years for the bullion to increase in price; but the asteroid may be far away. Too many factors to weigh up.