Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Bus-Size Asteroid to Give Earth Close Shave Friday
Space.com ^ | 1/26/12 | Mike Wall

Posted on 01/26/2012 9:00:55 PM PST by NormsRevenge

A small asteroid will make an extremely close pass by Earth Friday (Jan. 27), coming much nearer than the moon, but the space rock poses no danger of impacting our planet, NASA scientists say.

The newfound asteroid 2012 BX34, which is about the size of a city bus, will pass within 36,750 miles (59,044 kilometers) of Earth at about 10:30 a.m. EST (1530 GMT) Friday, astronomers with NASA's Asteroid Watch program announced via Twitter.

The space rock is about 36 feet (11 meters) wide, making it much too small to pose a threat to Earth.

"It wouldn't get through our atmosphere intact even if it dared to try," Asteroid Watch scientists tweeted today (Jan. 26). Asteroid Watch is based at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.

Asteroid 2012 BX34 will zip by at a distance about 0.17 times that separating Earth and the moon. The moon orbits Earth at an average distance of about 240,000 miles (386,000 km). [Video and image of asteroid 2012 BX34's orbit]

While the near-Earth asteroid won't hit Earth, it may offer seasoned amateur astronomers a great show — if they are in the right viewing location and have good equipment.

(Excerpt) Read more at space.com ...


TOPICS: Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: asteroid; closeshave; earth
Pics appreciated as always,, of the bus-sized object, that is. :-)
1 posted on 01/26/2012 9:00:58 PM PST by NormsRevenge
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]


2 posted on 01/26/2012 9:03:09 PM PST by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... Godspeed .. Monthly Donor Onboard .. Obama: Epic Fail or Bust!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


3 posted on 01/26/2012 9:03:55 PM PST by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... Godspeed .. Monthly Donor Onboard .. Obama: Epic Fail or Bust!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge

Rominy’s bus just passing away, eh?


4 posted on 01/26/2012 9:04:13 PM PST by MHGinTN (Being deceived can be cured.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


5 posted on 01/26/2012 9:04:44 PM PST by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ... Godspeed .. Monthly Donor Onboard .. Obama: Epic Fail or Bust!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge

I wonder, with a large enough magnet appropriately placed to alter the trajectory, ....

Never mind.


6 posted on 01/26/2012 9:07:11 PM PST by Rashputin (Obama stark, raving, mad, and even his security people know it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge
"It wouldn't get through our atmosphere intact even if it dared to try,"

Got a mind of it's own, too, does it?

7 posted on 01/26/2012 9:12:58 PM PST by Brad’s Gramma (I'm endorsing O'bama AND Romney as all my guys & gals don't make it very far. Go Barry! Go Mitt!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge

It’s the size of a twinkiemobile. Who can I throw under it?


8 posted on 01/26/2012 9:25:21 PM PST by Jack Hydrazine (It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Brad's Gramma

Just like one of them SUVs, always a potential terrorist rampaging killer.


9 posted on 01/26/2012 10:12:23 PM PST by C210N (Dems: "We must tax you so that we can buy your votes")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: C210N

Thanks for reminding me!!! I’ve got to go check on mine, to see if it’s still there as I told it to STAY! ... or...if it’s out on the town.

Yet.
Again.


10 posted on 01/26/2012 11:41:23 PM PST by Brad’s Gramma (I'm endorsing O'bama AND Romney as all my guys & gals don't make it very far. Go Barry! Go Mitt!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge
Bus-Size Asteroid to Give Earth Close Shave Friday

Michelle's Air Force 2 is a reentry vehicle?

11 posted on 01/26/2012 11:46:54 PM PST by piasa (Attitude adjustments offered here free of charge)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson