On October 12, an asteroid the size of a house will barely miss earth as it skims by at a distance of 27,000 miles. This will be a close call considering the size of the otherworldly body.
Asteroid 2012 TC4 will skim by earth a little too close for comfort. The latest observations, made on July 27, 31, and then again on August 5, revealed 2012 TC4 will pass within one-eighth of the moon’s distance from the planet.
Scientists believe it will shave past Earth at a distance of around 44,000 kilometers. That’s only 27,300 miles. With this close approach, NASA will have the opportunity to test its network of observatories for its planetary defense system, in case an asteroid did actually hit Earth.
“Scientists have always appreciated knowing when an asteroid will make a close approach to and safely pass the Earth because they can make preparations to collect data to characterize and learn as much as possible about it,” said Dr. Michael Kelley, a scientist working on the NASA TC4 observation campaign. “This time we are adding in another layer of effort, using this asteroid flyby to test the worldwide asteroid detection and tracking network, assessing our capability to work together in response to finding a potential real asteroid threat.”
Scientists tracked the house-sized asteroid using the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope in Chile. While they had expected the TC4 asteroid to pass by earth, they weren’t certain how close it would actually come.
“It’s damn close,” said Rolf Densing, who heads the European Space Operations Centre in Darmstadt, Germany. But that’s also far enough away that it will miss all of the geostationary satellites currently in orbit. “The farthest satellites are 36,000 kilometers (22,400 miles) out, so this is indeed a close miss,” he told AFP. “As close as it is right now, I think this prediction is pretty safe, meaning that it will miss.”
The asteroid was still very far from Earth, about 35 million miles at the time of the latest observations. It is traveling at speeds of around 30,000 mph (14 km per second).
FINALLY!!! My POTUS candidate from last year that I voted for on a round-the-solar-system tour is coming back!!!
I often get asteroids from sitting on my derriere too long at work.
please please please hit!
Is this what HCKS was talking about?
Brave
Got a lead on a house and 20 ac. outside of Woodbury Tn. Wish me luck!!!!
Sgt.
Sarge, best wishes on it. The sad part is that if you get the property events might force you to relocate faster than you want to. The way things are going I’m prepared to head back to GA when the right time comes. We’re living in one of Matt Bracken’s novels now.
What if they are off by a few thousand miles?
This is just a part of a fireworks to celebrate my 31 years in Law Enforcement.
Sgt.
Congratulations on 31 yrs. I did 3 as a BPA and had to get out. The laws got to stupid when it came to what is a weapon and what is not. A rock is a weapon plain and simple. But no California courts say it is just a rock. WTF!
In 31 years how many children were forced to strip for you?
TRUMP: “we will be talking bout gun laws as time goes by…” ANOTHER TRAITOR!!??
WHAT DO YOU DO WITH A TRAITOR?
An asteroid that’s going to miss us is hardly a concern.
If it did hit us, it would create a crater around 10 times the size of the crater in Arizona. A large hole, but no real apocalyptic damage. If it hit the ocean, a small tsunami would be problematic at best. An asteroid would need to be the size of a football stadium to be cataclysmic. Nothing here, move ON.
https://ih0.redbubble.net/image.345461923.7031/flat,800×800,075,f.u2.jpg
that asteroid just landed in brother Eric Paddock’s front yard
Oh, please. The asteroid of the week. What a bunch of nonsense.
Some say a asteroid will destroy us? Some say wormwood will start the tribulation and the window of opportunity to save us? We need that window of opportunity? Without it isn’t it obvious what lies ahead?
I’m glad its not an outhouse. Shitty way to go.
Boring video. Nothing happens until almost 6 minutes into it.
Is it really showing a tsunami washing over the Rocky Mountains?
Did nobody get out of the reading that thing coming in will be between the satellites and earth? That thing will kill at least some of those things!
Cdr, asteroid passing at 27300 miles. farthest sattelites orbit at 22400 miles. Read carefully before commenting.