Huge Asteroid headed for close encounter on Tuesday

[robbie c]

Will be passing between the earth and moon Tuesday 6:28pm EST (10:28 p.m BT)

Huge asteroid headed for close encounter with Earth - Yahoo!

[jimmyjamjoejoe]

Don't know about the states, but in the uk it'l be VERY low on the horizon, i can't remember the exact figures, but it was pretty much a "don't bother".

Edit: Just had a look, southern uk might be able to catch it soon after dark on the 8th, but after 8pm or so it'l be VERY low. Look at this video, then compare those constellation positions in stellarium...

[nicnac]

yep, i got a hit from science daily about it the other day... and space.com on facebook, supposed to be the size of an aircraft carrier (comparable)

im waiting on Apophis in 2028 myself (cue stargate theme tune)

[Moonshane]

worth a try if it's clear though.

[lukebl]

Don't know about the states, but in the uk it'l be VERY low on the horizon,...

That's true for the evening of the 8th, but the following night it will still be around 12th magnitude (it will only get to 11 anyway) and high in the south-eastern sky in Pisces at an elevation of around 40 degrees at 19:00 (close to the near-full moon, through).

[ollypenrice]

I think we should all try not to disturb it...

Olly

[Moonshane]

It's a real shame it won't transit the moon!

[bish]

It's a real shame it won't transit the moon!

That would be worth a look!

[Charon]

I agree with Olly!!

[JamesM]

(2005) JU55 will be travelling along the top part of Cygnus, then on clipping the bottom of Delphinus and then on moving through the bottom square of Pegasus (Markab and then Algenib). Nearest time of arrival to the earth will be 23:29 on 8th Nov with its closest point to the moon being reached on 07:14 on the 9th Nov. Sadly, the Moon will have slipped down past the western horizon at around 5:30 that same morning so if there was ever going to be any lunar impact - we're not going to see it. Being Charcoal in colour and also travelling pretty fast (lunar width in 7 seconds?) it will prove a tricky target to find and follow.

Having said all that, you know that its going to be cloudy anyway!

James

[glowjet]

Its a good job it is passing by, just imagine what would happen if that struck the Earth, we would have cloudy nights for months on end and secondhand astro equipment would be worth next to nothing

[heathenwoods]

Its a good job it is passing by, just imagine what would happen if that struck the Earth, we would have cloudy nights for months on end and secondhand astro equipment would be worth next to nothing

So every asteroid impact cloud *might* have a silver lining! As a scopeless beginner I could play the waiting game...

[nicnac]

Its a good job it is passing by, just imagine what would happen if that struck the Earth, we would have cloudy nights for months on end and secondhand astro equipment would be worth next to nothing

it would be a good time to invest in the future