Here’s how to see that huge asteroid that’ll safely pass Earth in April

/earthsky.org/ ^ | 03/09/2020 | Eddie Irizarry

[Darteaus94025]

“ This space rock is probably at least a mile wide (1.8 km) and maybe 2 1/2 times that big4.1 km)”

Not to quibble, but the term big can be misleading. Big means size, and for a sphere that means volume. Using the formula for volume, a 1.8 km wide object has a volume of 24.4 km. A 4 km while object, has a volume of 268 km. Clearly, the size, “bigness”, is vastly larger when the diameter is a little more than double.

[LouieFisk]

“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.

[Larry Lucido]

And if it takes a wrong turn and lands in Albuquerque, it will be really easy to see.

[fieldmarshaldj]

*ping*

[Telepathic Intruder]

v = ⁴/₃ π r³

You used the asteroid's diameter when you should have used the radius.

Sorry but I get a morbid thrill correcting other people's work.

[LibWhacker]

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.

[seawolf101]

Time to panic.

[Nateman]

The rock moves through the same spot in space three days after the Earth does this April. This point is where the rock gets closest to the sun so it will someday smack into Earth

[Darteaus94025]

Ah! Good catch! What’s the real difference then?

[Darteaus94025]

I’m getting 3 cubic km vs. 33 cubic km.

[Telepathic Intruder]

Yep, that’s what I got. And if you double the diameter or radius, you get 8 times the volume (2 cubed).

[Nateman]

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.

[momincombatboots]

A chance to test out the telescope i got hubby for Christmas.

[airborne]

Cool!

Bookmark for April.

[Nateman]

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.

[FroggyTheGremlim]

In 250-400 years, we’ll be able to land on it, set explosives and blow the thing to little bits.

[DuncanWaring]

And, of course, women and children will be most affected.

[Wonder Warthog]

https://www.virtualtelescope.eu/

[SunkenCiv]

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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