Posted on 10/24/2019 12:53:33 PM PDT by Red Badger
ASTEROID expert Dr Gianluca Masi of the Virtual Telescope Project has revealed how to live stream an enormous asteroid as it hurtles past Earth tomorrow afternoon. Here is how to watch Friday’s asteroid flyby.
Asteroid 1998 HL1 will barrel past the planet on Friday, October 25. Italian astronomer Gianluca Masi predicts even amateur asteroid enthusiasts can catch a glimpse of the space rock. US-based space agency NASA has calculated the huge HL1 measures approximately 1,443ft by 3,248ft (440m to 990m) across. An asteroid of this size is theoretically capable of destroying a city in the event of a direct hit and cause “global” destruction upon impact.
At this scale, a rogue space rock would release energy equal to about 100,000 megatons of TNT.
This is enough to cause widespread blast damage and devastating earthquakes if the asteroid did hit.
Dr Masi said the asteroid is considered “potentially hazardous” because of its size and relative proximity to Earth tomorrow.
The asteroid will make its closest approach to Earth at approximately 6.21pm BST (5.21pm UTC) this Friday.
Dr Masi will track and live stream the asteroid’s movement over the internet.
How to live stream tomorrow’s Asteroid 1998 HL1’s Earth flyby:
Those interested in watching the asteroid fly past the planet can do so in the embedded Virtual Telescope Project video above.
The advanced robotic facility will track the asteroid live online on the afternoon of the flyby.
A YouTube live stream will also start at 6pm BST (5pm UTC).
Dr Masi told Express.co.uk: “The potentially hazardous asteroid (162082) 1998 HL has an estimated diameter in the range 440 to 990m: this will make it quite bright around the time of the flyby. “The Virtual Telescope Project will show it live, thanks to its advanced technologies, bringing it to you via the Internet.
“This way, you can join the journey from the comfort of your home.
“Our online observing session will cover the moment of its minimum distance from us.”
Refresh this page tomorrow to the incredible cosmic event via live stream beamed from Rome.
What is Asteroid 1998 HL1?
The space rock was first discovered by New Mexico’s Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research project (LINEAR).
Space agency NASA categorised the asteroid a Near-Earth Object (NEO).
NEOs are all comets and space rocks orbiting our star at a relatively proximate distance to the planet.
NASA dubbed it “potentially hazardous” due of the asteroid’s relatively close approach and significant size.
NASA said: “Potentially hazardous asteroids are about 150m – almost 500ft – or larger, roughly twice as big as the Statue of Liberty is tall.
“They approach Earth’s orbit to within 7.5 million kilometres – about 4.6 million miles.
“By comparison, when Mars and Earth are at their closest, they are about 53 million kilometres – about 33 million miles – apart.”
The asteroid is flying through space at speeds of around 11.21km per second or 25,076mph (40,356kph).
Dumb article didn’t say how far. Had to check other sources.
3.8M miles.
15.2X distance to the moon.
That’s not that close.
Thank You for getting that import information and posting it. I was just getting ready that pullin my side mirrors on my pick up truck in case it was gonna be pretty close. /sarcasm
Thanks — you looked it up so I don’t have to. Unbelievable that such an article was posted without that trivial info.
By "skim", they mean approaching no closer than 19 times the moon's distance.
It’s too late to send up Harry Stamper and the crew to blow it up.
There’s one coming in December that will be closer than the Moon!......................
From https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/horizons.cgi#results (You will have to fill in the form)
Time: 2019-Oct-25 17:21 UTC
Visual Magnitude: 12.91 (very dim requires a 12" aperture telescope)
Distance from center of earth: 6,216,043 km
Velocity with respect to the sun: 31.67750 km/sec
Velocity with respect to the geocenter: 11.21 km/sec
Where is the ‘OH MY GOD WE ARE GOING TO DIE’?
I’m skeered. Hold me.
In all fairness, in astronomical terms, 15 X the distance to the moon is considered a near miss. For something that big, anyway.
A miss is as good as a mile.
In astronomic terms...it's within a whisker of impact.
New meaning to the term “skim”
No...no there isn't. The article that was initially published by The UK Daily Mail stated 177,000 miles. They forgot a few zeroes. Comet 2I/Borisov will be around the orbit of Mars...approximately 183 million miles...in December.
Or did you forget the sarc tag? Darn it, I can never tell when you people are joking.
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