Asteroid due to make a near-Earth pass next week
On November 8, asteroid 2005 YU55 will pass by Earth at a distance closer than the Moon.
Next week, Earth will have a very close encounter when asteroid 2005 YU55 passes within 0.85 lunar distances of Earth. How close it that? Well, the Moon is about 385,000 km away from Earth and so 0.85 of a lunar distance is equal to about 327,000 km. Pretty close in astronomical terms, but certainly not close enough to part your hair as it shoots by.
Asteroid 2005 YU55 was discovered in – surprise, surprise – 2005 by Robert McMillan of the Spacewatch Program and is calculated to have passed even closer to Earth in 1976, although it slipped by undetected that time. This passing will provide an unprecedented opportunity for ground-based observations and both the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico and NASA’s Deep Space Network Goldstone facility in the Mojave Desert shall be tracking it as it passes.
While the news will disappoint doomsday theorists, there is no chance that the passing of YU55 will:
- Cause a tsunami;
- Alter Earth’s orbit;
- Trigger volcanic eruptions;
- Lead to a radio blackout.
Nor will it collide with Earth. Although classed as a hazardous object and large enough to cause regional devastation were it to hit, NASA says there is no chance of it actually doing so – at least, not for another 100 years or more. However, there is a slight wrinkle. According to Sky and Telescope, YU55 is due to pass within about 280,000 km of Venus in 2029 – close enough for the planet’s gravitational pull to slightly alter the asteroid’s orbit – which means it’s impossible to say exactly how close YU55 will come to Earth when it makes its next pass in 2041. That said, the asteroid is not expected to come any closer to Earth then than it will next week – calculations put its minimum distance at anywhere from 230,000 km to 30 million km. Let’s hope those calculations are correct!
LOL – So this article is an article about nothing. Thanks Rhonda.
You’re awesome.
LOL – Axiom
If you are not interested as to what is going on in the world, as some people may be interested. Why are you bothering to read it and make a comment and waste your time.
Thanks Rhonda for the update.
100 percent… thanks, Rhonda. Unbelievable that anyone would consider this non-news, especially when something this frightening COULD some day come close enough to Earth to actually kill people. Most of the garbage on Internet news pages, like fashion news, is garbage. But you need to be pretty obtuse and naive to consider this non-newsworthy.
If you don’t have anything intelligent to say, then don’t say anything at all.
What do you call news ? Some untalented so called star put on an ounce or cheated on a spouce?..This is important to everyone and to our kids .
I think I’ll have corn flakes for breakfast today.
I agree with frustratedbunny. However, censoring the idiots of the world would be a full-time job, especially since they have sooooo many opinions!!!!!
Just curious about these near earth passes. Has any effort been put into calculating the moons position during them? Seems from the illustration that the moons orbit will be crossed twice, while our own is only crossed once. What effect would a collision with the moon have on the earth?
The screenshot I used above is from the following animation, which shows the position of the moon when the asteroid zips by: http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/images/2005_YU55_approach_movie.gif
Interesting story, Rhonda.
Do you know if this asteroid will be visible at all, maybe with binoculars?
Hey Rhonda, How you doing? ;)…lol But back to the article, this is interesting. I would have had no idea this was happening if I had not read this article.
Let me know if ever you wanna discuss the outcome of such an event over coffee…:p
Thanks Rhonda,you just answered Wondering’s great question.
I would like to see an animation of this asteroid’s orbit. Is it “polar” or “angled” between Earth and Venus orbital planes ? Longitudes and declinations ? Perhaps it has, or can acquire an Astrological meaning in the context of the 2012 Awakening.
it takes about 30 days for the moon to orbit the earth. did ya actually think that the asteroid would take more than 30 days to travel the distance of the moon’s orbit?
Excellent article Rhonda.
Thank you for bring this type of interesting story to your readers.
I guess I’ll be hearing about and seeing this asteroid again in 2041.
Hopefully not up close :)
I find this very interesting and like to know what’s going on even in the sky. Thanks
I too, was also wondering, if this astroid that will be passing by will be visable to the naked eye, and if you were to be looking for it in the night sky what side of the planet is most likely to see it clearly.
I live in central canada and wondered if it would be visable at night.
Great article by the way!
Jennifer and cohorts,your questions are answered by following the link ‘Deep Space Network’ in Rhonda’s main post.
Can this asteroid be seen as it cruises by?
awesome article rhonda, this is the stuff i like reading instead of reading about someones pain and sorrow.
“The sky is falling, the sky is falling”
Chicken Little
It just might one day
Is there any chance of it hitting the moon?
See Rhonda’s reply above
Only a weeks notice?
Of course this is interesrting; and whether we like it or not, this is information we must have. Thank you so much for telling us about it and for the explanation.
PS – You will let us know if it gets any closer than estimated won’t you.
Closer than the moon you say! Gives me something to squirm about if I’m still alive the next time it comes ’round!
What would happen if the asteroid were to have possibly hit the moon or could it be that next time it could. What sort of an impact would that have???
If it hits, it is finally about time for humanity and the next what if of intelligent life on this planet.
If not at least there is a shot a deflecting the problem away in a century or two at the most.
Just wondering, will we be able to see the asteriod? Or will it be to far away?
Very interesting- I’d heard about this asteroid- thanks for the info. Yes, hopefully the calculations are correct!
[...] Star – at least, not yet. Nor will the beam be able to clean up space junk or alter the course of asteroid YU55 in order to steer it away from a collision with Earth. The beams NASA is looking to create would [...]