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Astronomy Picture of the Day -- Asteroid 2012 DA14 Passes the Earth
NASA ^ | February 17, 2013 | (see photo credit)

Posted on 02/17/2013 11:06:56 PM PST by SunkenCiv

Explanation: There it goes. That small spot moving in front of background stars in the above video is a potentially dangerous asteroid passing above the Earth's atmosphere. This past Friday, the 50-meter wide asteroid 2012 DA14 just missed the Earth, passing not only inside the orbit of the Moon, which is unusually close for an asteroid of this size, but also inside the orbit of geosynchronous satellites. Unfortunately, asteroids this big or bigger strike the Earth every 1000 years or so. Were 2012 DA14 to have hit the Earth, it could have devastated a city-sized landscape, or stuck an ocean and raised dangerous tsunamis. Although finding and tracking potentially dangerous asteroids is a primary concern of modern astronomy, these small bodies or ice and rock are typically so dim that only a few percent of them have been found, so far. Even smaller chunks of ice and rock, like the (unrelated) spectacular meteors that streaked over Russia and California over the past few days, are even harder to find -- but pose less danger.

February 17, 2013

(Excerpt) Read more at 129.164.179.22 ...


TOPICS: Astronomy; Astronomy Picture of the Day; Science
KEYWORDS: 2012da14; apod; astronomy; california; catastrophism; chebarkul; chelyabinsk; godsgravesglyphs; russia; science
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[Credit & Copyright: Daniel López (El Cielo de Canarias)]

1 posted on 02/17/2013 11:07:05 PM PST by SunkenCiv
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To: 75thOVI; agrace; aimhigh; Alice in Wonderland; AndrewC; aragorn; aristotleman; Avoiding_Sulla; ...



2 posted on 02/17/2013 11:09:58 PM PST by SunkenCiv (Romney would have been worse, if you're a dumb ass.)
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To: brytlea; cripplecreek; decimon; bigheadfred; KoRn; Grammy; married21; steelyourfaith; Mmogamer; ...
Gallery: Videos and images of 2012 DA14

3 posted on 02/17/2013 11:09:58 PM PST by SunkenCiv (Romney would have been worse, if you're a dumb ass.)
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To: 75thOVI; agrace; aimhigh; Alice in Wonderland; AndrewC; aragorn; aristotleman; Avoiding_Sulla; ...



4 posted on 02/17/2013 11:10:53 PM PST by SunkenCiv (Romney would have been worse, if you're a dumb ass.)
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To: brytlea; cripplecreek; decimon; bigheadfred; KoRn; Grammy; married21; steelyourfaith; Mmogamer; ...
Gallery: Videos and images of 2012 DA14

5 posted on 02/17/2013 11:10:53 PM PST by SunkenCiv (Romney would have been worse, if you're a dumb ass.)
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Whoops.
There it goes. That small spot moving in front of background stars in the above video is a potentially dangerous asteroid passing above the Earth's atmosphere. This past Friday, the 50-meter wide asteroid 2012 DA14 just missed the Earth, passing not only inside the orbit of the Moon, which is unusually close for an asteroid of this size, but also inside the orbit of geosynchronous satellites. Unfortunately, asteroids this big or bigger strike the Earth every 1000 years or so. Were 2012 DA14 to have hit the Earth, it could have devastated a city-sized landscape, or stuck an ocean and raised dangerous tsunamis. Although finding and tracking potentially dangerous asteroids is a primary concern of modern astronomy, these small bodies or ice and rock are typically so dim that only a few percent of them have been found, so far. Even smaller chunks of ice and rock, like the (unrelated) spectacular meteors that streaked over Russia and California over the past few days, are even harder to find -- but pose less danger.

6 posted on 02/17/2013 11:22:47 PM PST by SunkenCiv (Romney would have been worse, if you're a dumb ass.)
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To: SunkenCiv

Thank you very much, SunkenCiv!
I will watch later today.


7 posted on 02/17/2013 11:39:22 PM PST by onyx (FREE REPUBLIC IS HERE TO STAY! DONATE MONTHLY! IF YOU WANT ON SARAH PALIN''S PING LIST, LET ME KNOW)
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To: onyx

My pleasure, onyx.


8 posted on 02/17/2013 11:58:45 PM PST by SunkenCiv (Romney would have been worse, if you're a dumb ass.)
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To: SunkenCiv
One has to wonder is our thousand year time frame nearly up or would that be down. When looking at mulidimensions from the perspective of being in space looking back am constantly confused as to which end is up and what is the time-line. Thanks SunkenCiv. Your posts always generate thoughts to make me ask myself questions. Having no answers always makes for more questions, all unanswered.
9 posted on 02/18/2013 1:33:19 AM PST by no-to-illegals (Please God, Protect and Bless Our Men and Women in Uniform with Victory. Amen.)
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To: SunkenCiv

That was really AWESOME!

It reminded me of an incident in my childhood. Dad knew when it was going to pass over, as he worked for Bell labs, and we stood out in the yard on a starry night and watched “Echo 1”, America’ s first communications satellite, pass over. It looked just like that!

I also remember him bringing home a piece of Echo’s SKIN, and double-dog-daring me to try and rip it! I worked on it for days, and finally presented Dad with a piece of warped, mangled, RIPPED Mylar!

I have been “into” the Space program for a long, long, time! :-)


10 posted on 02/18/2013 4:37:39 AM PST by left that other site (Worry is the darkroom that developes negatives.)
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To: SunkenCiv
Cool video, Mr. Civilizations. LOL! Ninteen seconds of pure terror!!   ;) winking  

Too bad it didn't bounce off the atmosphere. Now, that would have been spectacular.
11 posted on 02/18/2013 5:13:43 AM PST by TheOldLady
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To: SunkenCiv

12 posted on 02/18/2013 5:30:24 AM PST by JoeProBono (A closed mouth gathers no feet - Mater tua caligas exercitus gerit ;-{)
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To: SunkenCiv

Like a Mazda commercial - “zoom zoom”.


13 posted on 02/18/2013 5:41:39 AM PST by trebb (Allies no longer trust us. Enemies no longer fear us.)
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To: JoeProBono

I had to blow that up quite a bit, and I’m still not sure, but is that a Michael Jackson sparkly glove flying through space?


14 posted on 02/18/2013 5:41:53 AM PST by deoetdoctrinae (Gun free zones are playgrounds for felons.)
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To: SunkenCiv

Just the universe sayin’ howdy.


15 posted on 02/18/2013 5:48:51 AM PST by Mike Darancette (Soylent Green is Boomers)
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To: deoetdoctrinae

16 posted on 02/18/2013 5:55:39 AM PST by JoeProBono (A closed mouth gathers no feet - Mater tua caligas exercitus gerit ;-{)
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To: JoeProBono
Thanks JPB. Always good to hear from ya!


17 posted on 02/18/2013 6:38:10 AM PST by deoetdoctrinae (Gun free zones are playgrounds for felons.)
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To: RoadGumby

Ping


18 posted on 02/18/2013 6:46:08 AM PST by RoadGumby (This is not where I belong, Take this world and give me Jesus.)
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To: deoetdoctrinae

;-{)


19 posted on 02/18/2013 6:58:28 AM PST by JoeProBono (A closed mouth gathers no feet - Mater tua caligas exercitus gerit ;-{)
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To: deoetdoctrinae

20 posted on 02/18/2013 7:05:42 AM PST by JoeProBono (A closed mouth gathers no feet - Mater tua caligas exercitus gerit ;-{)
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