Everything You Need to Know About Earth’s Close Shave With an Asteroid

On February 15 , asteroid 2012 DA14 is scheduled to pay us a visit . The 150 fundament ( 45 meter ) rock has no chance of hitting us — but it ’ll be the closest approaching that ’s ever been observed by astronomers .

Here ’s everything you need to lie with about this unique event .

Asteroid 2012 DA14 was give away last class by astronomers in southern Spain using the La Sagra Sky Survey at the Astronomical Observatory of Mallorca . The objective was about 2.7 million miles ( 4.3 million klick ) away at the fourth dimension . Subsequent analysis showed that it was heading right for us — and that it was go to give us a faithful shave .

A really close shave .

The asteroid , which is half the size of it of a football game field and 130,000 metric tons in mint , will exit by our major planet at a paltry distance of 17,200 miles ( 27,000 kilometers ) .

Putting that into perspective , the average distance from the Earth to the lunar month is 238,607 international nautical mile ( 384,000 km ) . That place the distance of 2012 DA14 ’s unaired approaching to 1/14th our length to the moon , or 7 % . That imply it ’ll decease to within about 3.5 Earth radii of the Earth ’s control surface .

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What ’s more , the asteroid ’s trajectory will put it nearer to Earth than our satellites in geosynchronous eye socket , which is about 22,245 Admiralty mile ( 35,800 km ) above the equator . That ’s about 5,000 miles ( 8,046 km ) closer to Earth than those satellite .

Now , it ’s unlikely that 2012 DA14 will bankrupt into a satellite , but NASA bring out a word of advice to satellite wheeler dealer anyway , render them with elaborated data about the flyby . But to assure them , a NASA statement indicated that :

There is very minuscule chance that asteroid 2012 DA14 will bear upon a orbiter or spacecraft . Because the asteroid is go up from below Earth , it will hand between the outer configuration of artificial satellite locate in geosynchronous orbit ( 22,245 miles/35,800 kilometers ) and the orotund concentration of planet orbiting much closer to Earth . ( The International Space Station , for example , orbit at the close - in altitude of 240 miles/386 kilometers . ) . There are almost no satellites orbit at the space at which the asteroid will hap .

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Nor will the asteroid shoot the Earth — which would have been a Tunguska - comparable event were it to take place . “ Its arena about the sun can bring it no closer to the Earth ’s airfoil than 3.2 Earth radii on February 15 , 2013 , ” notes NASA .

At its near point , 2012 DA14 will be above Sumatra , Indonesia at 2:24 PM EST ( 19:24 GMT ) .

This flyby represents a singular opportunity for astronomers to study a penny-pinching - Earth object ( NEO ) . To that terminal , NASA will be monitor its approach using the Goldstone Solar Systems Radar in California ’s Mohave desert . One of the thing that NASA will be concerned in learning is how the flyby will bear upon on its subsequent trajectory shift . That said , the space office is confident that it wo n’t coil around for a return visit .

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Astronomers are also curious to see what it looks like . They ’ve already sort it as an S - type asteroid on score of its silicate composition , but it ’ll be interesting to see it from up close .

Regrettably , 2012 DA14 wo n’t be seeable with the nude center . Its luminosity is figure at a order of magnitude of less than seven , which is just beneath human visual capacity . Moreover , it will make its approach during day hours in the Western Hemisphere . That said , stargazers in the Eastern Hemisphere using a scope — and with a flake of luck — might be able to pick up a glance . The asteroid will look like a small pinprick of light zipping across the sky from the southern eventide sky into the sunup north sky .

And zip up it will . Asteroid 2012 DA14 is moving extraordinarily tight , about 17,450 miles per hour ( 28,100 km/h ) . That ’s 4.8 mile per 2nd ( 7.82 kilometers per second ) proportional to Earth .

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Four hour after its closest approach to Earth , the asteroid will take place into the Earth ’s trace for about 18 minute before reappearing from the occultation . It will be within the Earth / Moon system for about 33 hours .

scientist say there are about 500,000 near - Earth asteroids the sizing of 2012 DA14 in our solar organisation . Of those , less than one percent have been come upon . Flybys like this one only befall about once every 40 class or so .

NASA will be livestreaming this celestial event from the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville . The action gets start at 6:00 phase modulation EST on Friday February 15 , and will consort until 9:00 PM EST .

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