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  • Small Asteroid Passes Between Satellites and Earth

    12/23/2004 7:36:30 AM PST · by SunkenCiv · 9 replies · 619+ views
    Space dot com ^ | 22 December 2004 | Robert Roy Britt
    The object, named 2004 YD5, was about 16 feet (5 meters) wide, though that's a rough estimate based on its distance and assumed reflectivity. Had it entered the atmosphere, it would have exploded high up, experts figure. The asteroid passed just under the orbits of geostationary satellites, which at 22,300 miles (36,000 kilometers) altitude are the highest manmade objects circling Earth. Most other satellites, along with the International Space Station, circle the planet at just a few hundred miles up... the second closest pass of an asteroid ever observed by telescope, according to the Asteroid/Comet Connection, a web site that...