3 asteroids, including one bigger than the Washington Monument, to fly past Earth on Christmas Day

Fox News ^ | 12/22/2020 | By Chris Ciaccia |

[BenLurkin]

The largest space rock, known as asteroid 501647 (2014 SD224), is slated to come within 1.9 million miles of Earth and is thought to have a diameter as great as 689 feet. At its size and distance, it is considered a "potentially hazardous" Near-Earth Object (NEO), but it poses no threat to the planet when it zips past later this week.

"Potentially hazardous" NEOs are defined as space objects that come within 0.05 astronomical units and measure more than 460 feet in diameter, NASA explained. According to a 2018 report by Planetary.org, there are more than 18,000 NEOs.

This asteroid last made a close approach to Earth on Jan. 26, 2020, and will not do so again until Dec. 18, 2021, NASA added.

In addition to asteroid 501647 (2014 SD224), two other asteroids will safely fly past Earth on Christmas Day — 2020 XY and 2020 YM1. Both are considered NEOs as well, and, like asteroid 501647, pose no threat to Earth.

[equaviator]

Gee-whiz!

[Track9]

Don’t tell the democrats, they’ll want to take them down.

[MtnClimber]

To the others look like Robert E Lee and Abraham Lincoln?

[PIF]

And then the really really big ones will come out from behind the Sun ...

See episode four of "The Expanse" for preview on Amazon.

[Track9]

You could find an astronomy picture of the day with those idiots trying to topple asteroids.

[mass55th]

Glancing quickly at the titles while scrolling down the page, I thought it said "3 steroids..."

and went "Whaaaattt? then scrolled back again.

[Big Red Badger]

My Uncle had a Bad
Case of steroids.
●
;(

[NonValueAdded]

I name them Moe, Larry, and Curley. The Three Wiseguys coming to Bethlehem.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Resource:

https://spaceweather.com/

They have a list of Near Earth asteroids. If you click on them you go to the:

JPL Small Body Database.

You can click on the Fast Forward >> or single step to see the trajectories and if they present a threat.

You can also click on the link on your Article, which does take you to the Database and the asteroid number, but you will then need click on “Orbit Diagram” to bring up a plot of the asteroid trajectory.

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Here are the asteroids in question:

https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=501647&orb=1

https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=2020%20XY;orb=1;cov=0;log=0;cad=0#orb

https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=2020%20XY;orb=1;cov=0;log=0;cad=0#orb

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More information on plotting asteroids potential for danger.

https://cneos.jpl.nasa.gov/about/neo_groups.html

We look pretty safe.

[Governor Dinwiddie]

Balthazar, Gaspar, and Melchior.

[Deaf Smith]

"Bigger than the Washington Monument"

Better comparison would be to the San Jacinto monument outside Houston (Texas, Y'all) which is taller that thing in DC.

[Pez149]

I love this one.
It is “potentially hazardous”
But it “Poses No Threat”.
That truly makes no sense.

Asteroids come in contact with the Earth’s Atmosphere on a daily basis.
Most burn up in orbit and some hit the earth as small objects.
(Unless you get hit by one)
They’re mostly harmless.

[17th Miss Regt]

As the name suggests, they are only that big because of steroid abuse.

[Deaf Smith]

And only potentially hazardous due to the Astroglide Effect.

[RinaseaofDs]

It’d be kind nice to get a meteor the size of a minivan hit the Capitol Mall during the Veto party on Dec 29 with DJT in Florida.

[Governor Dinwiddie]

#16: "It'd be kind nice to get a meteor the size of a minivan hit the Capitol Mall during the Veto party on Dec 29 with DJT in Florida."

From your keyboard to God's ear! Yes.

[AdmSmith]

We will survive this one as well.