PHA Close Approaches To The Earth
The following table lists the predicted encounters by Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs) to within 0.05 AU of the earth from the start of this year through 2178. Objects with very uncertain orbits are excluded from this listing, as are recently discovered objects whose orbits have been computed without consideration of planetary perturbations. The distances quoted are from the nominal orbit solutions in the cited references and can be quite uncertain, particularly for one-opposition objects. Perturbed orbital solutions consider perturbations by eight major planets (Mercury to Neptune), three minor planets (Ceres, Pallas and Vesta) and treat the earth and the moon as separate perturbing bodies. For comparison, the mean distance of the moon is 0.0026 AU = 384400 km = 238900 miles. (1 AU is approximately the mean distance of the earth from the sun = 149597870 km = 92955810 miles.)
Object (and name) Date of encounter (TT)
4179) Toutatis ----- 2004 Sept.29.57
25143) Itokawa ----- 2004 June 26.83
1999 MN ----- 2004 July 11.06
2001 US16 ----- 2004 May 8.68
2004 FJ11 ------ 2004 May 24.17
Anyway, I did a search for Itokawa(which is the named asteroid scheduled for June 26, 2004)and I have no way of showing the image of how close this asteriod will be to Earth you will need to go to this link to see it...really unbelievable! Link Here for Asteroid viewer
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) Taiwan's president says in his inauguration speech that he wants to stabilize relations with rival China
Palestinian leader defiant on eve of murder verdict
05/19/04 A jailed Palestinian leader issued a defiant statement Wednesday on the eve of the verdict in his highly publicized murder trial, refusing to recognize the authority of the Israeli courts and calling on Palestinians to continue their uprising
http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/05/19/israel.barghouti.ap/index.html