Asteroids

[2hats]

The first near Earth asteroid observation of the year has turned up a little surprise.

Radar observations made from Arecibo indicate asteroid 2016 AZ8 turns out to have its own moon (the main asteroid is about 400m across and the moon is orbiting about 400m from it).


Somewhat relatedly, asteroid 2017 YE5, observed in parallel (bistatic setup) by Arecibo and Green Bank last year turns out to be a binary asteroid system - actually two objects each about 900m in size orbiting their common barycentre with a period of about 20-24 hours.

Actually ‘equal mass’ binary asteroid systems are not that uncommon. It is estimated that around 15% of near Earth asteroids of >200m size are binaries (there are three others known).

 

[ferrelhadley]

The first near Earth asteroid observation of the year has turned up a little surprise.

Radar observations made from Arecibo indicate asteroid 2016 AZ8 turns out to have its own moon (the main asteroid is about 400m across and the moon is orbiting about 400m from it).

About the same size as Bennu that OSIRUS REx is currently in orbit around that is an orbit of about 0.06m/s or about 200 meters an hour.

 

[ferrelhadley]

Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) Mission

Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) Mission
The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission is directed by NASA to the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL) with support from NASA centers: the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), and Johnson Space Center (JSC).

DART will be the first demonstration of the kinetic impact technique to change the motion of an asteroid in space. The DART mission is in Phase B, led by JHU/APL and managed by the Planetary Missions Program Office at Marshall Space Flight Center for NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office.

The NASA mission that goes up next year to test techniques to try to ensure we do not go the way of the dinosaurs. Sadly it does not appear to require teams deep ocean drillers hastily trained as astronauts.

 

[2hats]

Tuesday just (just after midnight 8 Jan) saw asteroid 2019 AS5 make a close fly-by of Earth at only 8600km. It was discovered 9 hours after closest approach. Fortunately it is only 1-2 metres across so if it had impacted would most likely have merely broken up with a large fireball/explosion Chelyabinsk style; so perhaps meteorites, minor structural damage/injuries. Such a close pass was within the orbit of MEO satellites such as all GNSS (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo).

3D interactive visualisation of the encounter (clearly illustrates the Earth’s gravitational influence on the asteroid) here.

 

[2hats]

It would appear that there has been a collision in the asteroid belt, perhaps during November 2018. Just outside the orbit of Mars, asteroid 6478 Gault is now sporting a 400000km long tail (greater than the Earth-Moon distance). Most likely a debris trail that is the result of a collision with another asteroid.

6478 Gault is a member of the Phocaea family of asteroids, part of the inner asteroid belt, that are thought to have formed as a result of inter-asteroid collisions over 2 billion years ago.

 

[ferrelhadley]

Lucy mission to the Trojans now has a contract for a launch provider.
ULA wins contract to launch NASA’s Lucy mission to visit unexplored asteroids – Spaceflight Now
Its going to visit 6 Trojans on its voyages and aims to explore theories around the formation of the solar system, the current favorite is the NICE2 model that had the gas giants migrating towards the inner solar system creating a great deal of instability in the process in the early solar system. This may be related to the Late Heavy Bombardment (best name for anything science) when Earth got plastered by impacts.

 

[ferrelhadley]

The Japanese Hayabusa-2 spacecraft is thought to have detonated an explosive charge on the asteroid it is exploring.

The idea was to create an artificial crater on the object known as Ryugu.

If this is successful - and the early indications are positive - the probe will later return to gather samples from the gouged depression.

Scientists believe these samples could help them better understand how Earth and the other planets were formed in the early Solar System.

Japanese spacecraft 'bombs' asteroid

 

[Aladdin]

Large asteroid to pass 'close' by earth

An asteroid some 900 metres in diameter will have what in astronomical terms is deemed a 'close encounter' with earth today. While it will pass some 2 million kilometres from earth, in astronomical terms it is deemed a close encounter.

www.rte.ie

Large asteroid to pass 'close' by earth
Updated / Sunday, 21 Mar 2021 08:20

NASA says the asteroid will pass by Earth at about 124,000 kilometres per hour (File pic)

An asteroid some 900 metres in diameter will have what in astronomical terms is deemed a 'close encounter' with earth today.
The nearest it will get to earth will be two million kilometres away, according to the US space agency, NASA.
It said there is no threat of a collision with our planet "now or for centuries to come".

But it said it is close enough for the asteroid - named 2001 FO32- to be classified as a "potentially hazardous asteroid".




Question:
Why is it classified as "potentially hazardous asteroid " if it's not going to come close enough to hit?

 

[Pickman's model]

Large asteroid to pass 'close' by earth

An asteroid some 900 metres in diameter will have what in astronomical terms is deemed a 'close encounter' with earth today. While it will pass some 2 million kilometres from earth, in astronomical terms it is deemed a close encounter.

www.rte.ie

Large asteroid to pass 'close' by earth
Updated / Sunday, 21 Mar 2021 08:20

NASA says the asteroid will pass by Earth at about 124,000 kilometres per hour (File pic)

An asteroid some 900 metres in diameter will have what in astronomical terms is deemed a 'close encounter' with earth today.
The nearest it will get to earth will be two million kilometres away, according to the US space agency, NASA.
It said there is no threat of a collision with our planet "now or for centuries to come".

But it said it is close enough for the asteroid - named 2001 FO32- to be classified as a "potentially hazardous asteroid".




Question:
Why is it classified as "potentially hazardous asteroid " if it's not going to come close enough to hit?

NASA - Ask NASA:

Ask NASA:

www.nasa.gov

 

[Aladdin]

NASA - Ask NASA:

Ask NASA:

www.nasa.gov

Ha ha...
Picturing someone filling in that online form to NASA... when an asteroid is headed our way

 

[Pickman's model]

Ha ha...
Picturing someone filling in that online form to NASA... when an asteroid is headed our way

An asteroid is heading our way

 

[Aladdin]

An asteroid is heading our way

Yeah but... not on a course to impact

 

[Pickman's model]

Yeah but... not on a course to impact

Well we don't know that.

 

[Aladdin]

Well we don't know that.

But..

"The nearest it will get to earth will be two million kilometres away, according to the US space agency, NASA."

 

[Pickman's model]

But..

"The nearest it will get to earth will be two million kilometres away, according to the US space agency, NASA."

There's more than one asteroid heading in our direction. You didn't see them predict the one over Russia the other year, did you

 

[Aladdin]

There's more than one asteroid heading in our direction. You didn't see them predict the one over Russia the other year, did you

I do remember that.
Meteor went through ice?

 

[Pickman's model]

I do remember that.
Meteor went through ice?

Mwti the b side of ruddy yurts' second single

 

[farmerbarleymow]

There's more than one asteroid heading in our direction. You didn't see them predict the one over Russia the other year, did you

I learned some Russian swearwords watching the various videos of that event.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Well we don't know that.

An asteroid strike would be a fitting bit of icing on the cake these days.

 

[existentialist]

I learned some Russian swearwords watching the various videos of that event.

Yeah, there was a certain amount of "Ёб твою мать" going on...

 

[NoXion]

Question:
Why is it classified as "potentially hazardous asteroid " if it's not going to come close enough to hit?

I assume because the near-miss means that it is an "Earth-crossing" asteroid, all of which could potentially hit the Earth someday.

 

[Pickman's model]

More than 95% of near-Earth asteroids of 2001 FO32 size or larger have been cataloged, and none have any chance of colliding with our planet within the next century.

Yeh it's the one that haven't been put into the safe category that concern me

 

[Pickman's model]

Yeah, there was a certain amount of "Ёб твою мать" going on...

Not so often people mention matb here these days

 

[DotCommunist]

if you get the chance to weigh one in star-iron is expensive.

 

[NoXion]

Yeh it's the one that haven't been put into the safe category that concern me

I'm also dubious about that 95%. I assume that's 95% is of all the near-Earth asteroids that we know about. The discovery of exo-bodies that come in close to the Solar system, like 'Oumuamua and Borisov, should be enough to demonstrate that there are entire populations of objects that we barely know anything about.

Object families like the Damocloids could also be hiding nasty surprises. I don't think complacency is wise.