Posted on 01/25/2023 9:52:27 AM PST by Red Badger
Asteroid 2023 BU imaged by the Virtual Telescope as it approached Earth in January 2023.
(Image credit: Virtual Telescope Project)
Wednesday, January 25, 2023: A newly discovered asteroid that will pass very close to Earth on Friday has been photographed by an Italian astronomer as it makes its approach.
The space rock, called 2023 BU, is only about 13 to 30 feet (4 to 9 meters) wide, and was discovered last Saturday (Jan. 21) by prolific Crimea-based astronomer and telescope builder Gennadiy Borisov (the same man who discovered the first interstellar comet, which now bears his name, Borisov, in 2018)
The asteroid will pass only 2,240 miles (3,600 kilometers) from Earth's surface on Friday (Jan. 27), becoming the 4th closest asteroid ever observed apart from those that actually struck the planet, according to the Virtual Telescope website(opens in new tab). For comparison, satellites of the global navigation system GPS orbit 12,500 miles (20,200 km) above Earth, about four times farther away.
This image, however, was taken when the asteroid was still quite far, about 360,000 miles (580,000 km) away from us, which is 124,000 miles (200,000 km) farther away than the orbit of the moon.
Italian astronomer Gianluca Masi took the image on Tuesday (Jan. 24) using his robotic Elena telescope located just outside of Rome. – Tereza Pultarova
About a thousand people were injured, so I was say that they observed it striking the earth.
You forgot Davos.
Last I heard it’s supposed to miss us, but it’s going to be a close call. I think they they said it will pass one-half the distance that’s between us and the moon, which in terms of asteroids is a close call. The scary thing about it is that they just found this sucker approaching a few days ago. It’s like these things just pop up out of the dark abyss of space.
The Younger Dryas, momentarily.
That right there is funny.
I think in space it’s an asteroid. In the atmosphere it’s a meteor. On the ground it’s a meteorite.
But I think they had already left Davos.
Yep, maybe we’ll luck out.
I’ve seen fireballs like that 2-3 times in my life.
They, Hollywood, are supposedly looking to do a remake of that movie! I read the book as a teenager! The story line is very plausable.........................
What direction is it coming from? Uranus?
I saw one in the Marines at Camp Lejeune one morning going to the rifle range just before sunrise.
It was a beautiful green streak then a huge flash of explosion, but no sound................
The newest in really giant Chem-Trail Spreaders.
Stay inside.
That first one I saw one just like it when I was a young Marine. Early one morning, just before good sunrise, bright green streak then a huge flash as it exploded, all without a sound................
“I’m rootin’ for the asteroid.”
At another site they called such a flying rock a “SMOD”.
“Sweet Meteor Of Death.”
That was the premise of the movie "Gravity"
Not close enough IMO.
Unless it makes impact.
The UN building.
Davos.
Yep. Man... The poor girl was battered non stop...
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