Location of asteroid (52768) 1998 OR2 around the nights of closest approach (April 28-29, 2020). Facing south, as seen from the central U.S.
Illustration by Eddie Irizarry using Stellarium.
Posted on 03/09/2020 9:10:09 PM PDT by BenLurkin
Still, excitement is building among both professional and amateur astronomers about the upcoming flyby of asteroid (52768) 1998 OR2 – the biggest asteroid due to fly by Earth this year – coming closest on April 29, 2020. This space rock is probably at least a mile wide (1.8 km) and maybe 2 1/2 times that big (4.1 km). Closest approach is April 29 around 5:56 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (09:56 UTC; translate UTC to your time).
No access to a telescope? No problem. The Virtual Telescope Project in Rome will host a free, online public viewing of the asteroid on April 28, 2020.
During its April 2020 pass, this asteroid will at no time be bright enough to view with the unaided eye. However, it’s estimated to reach a visual magnitude of around 10 to 11, which means observers with at least 6-inch or 8-inch telescopes (the number indicates the size of the primary mirror) will see the asteroid (very slowly) moving in front of the stars!
Sky enthusiasts can initially use a wide-angle (32mm or 35mm) eyepiece to point the telescope to a reference star in the asteroid’s path (charts below). After being assured that the instrument is pointing at the correct patch of the sky, a 26mm or 27mm eyepiece is recommended to detect the asteroid’s slow motion. You will want to note the star field, and watch for the object that moves over a period of about 10 to 15 minutes. Yes, that’ll be the space rock.
Location of asteroid (52768) 1998 OR2 around the nights of closest approach (April 28-29, 2020). Facing south, as seen from the central U.S.
Illustration by Eddie Irizarry using Stellarium.
(Excerpt) Read more at earthsky.org ...
“this asteroid will at no time be bright enough to view with the unaided eye.”
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Too bad - means most people will miss seeing it.
And if it takes a wrong turn and lands in Albuquerque, it will be really easy to see.
*ping*
Closest approach this time around is ~4 million miles, plenty of breathing room. It is a biggie, though. Wouldn’t want to see us tangle with it.
Time to panic.
Ah! Good catch! What’s the real difference then?
I’m getting 3 cubic km vs. 33 cubic km.
Yep, that’s what I got. And if you double the diameter or radius, you get 8 times the volume (2 cubed).
Next close encounter is 210 years from now. It is off by a day and a half from hitting Earth. In 400 years it passes Earth by half a day in that smack spot so that could be where it happens because Earth alters the rock orbit everytime it gets close.
A chance to test out the telescope i got hubby for Christmas.
Cool!
Bookmark for April.
Every 3 orbits the rock makes the Earth does 11. It is not a perfect resonance yet, there is a 6 day difference in the timing after that. I suspect it has been slowly but surely being nudged into this timing over a period of thousands of years if not millions of years.
In 250-400 years, we’ll be able to land on it, set explosives and blow the thing to little bits.
And, of course, women and children will be most affected.
Thanks, it's passing at 4 million miles distance, should be a nice object, plus, the radar returns from it are likely to increase the accuracy of estimates of its size.
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