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The asteroid – named 441987 (2010 NY65) – is marked as a concern because it's 230 metres in diameter and travelling just 7.9 lunar distances (that's about three million km) from us.
[...] If it were to strike, its weight could impact with a force 300 times greater than the Hiroshima bomb, scientists have predicted.
2010 NY65 was discovered on July 10, 2010 by the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) spacecraft and is expected to make yearly close approaches to Earth until 2022.
It might sound far-fetched, but experts have warned that an asteroid crash that would wipe out humanity could be imminent.
Dr Alan Fitzsimmons, speaking ahead of asteroid week this month, said there is currently nothing we can do to stop a large space rock heading our way – and the impact would be catastrophic.
Well, an asteroid impact is certainly one way to solve all our problems.
(Score: 2) by Grishnakh on Monday June 26 2017, @05:17PM (4 children)
The included articles seem rather sparse and sensationalist. This is the first I've heard of this asteroid, so I seriously doubt it's much of a concern. 7.9 lunar distances is pretty huge; we have asteroids come that close all the time. The ones that are worrisome are less than 2 or 3, or worse, less than 1. I'm pretty sure that, by now, the astronomers have gotten their predictions down pretty well for the next pass (it's subsequent passes of the same asteroid where there's less certainty because coming close to Earth/Moon's gravity changes the trajectory and there's more uncertainty).
If you want something to worry about, check out this page of Near-Earth Objects [nasa.gov], and look for the one coming on October 12: it's only 0.15 lunar distances, and possibly as low as 0.03! Luckily, it's only 12-27 meters, but still that's really close.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by frojack on Monday June 26 2017, @05:57PM (2 children)
If it ends up being the closest, .03 LU) x 250,000 then the closest approach = 7500 miles.
Since LD is measured from the planet center you have to subtract the Radius of Earth 3958mi to get about 3542 miles above surface of earth..
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 3, Funny) by bob_super on Monday June 26 2017, @07:50PM (1 child)
For everyone's safety, can you use metric when calculating trajectories of objects near a planet?
(Score: 1, Troll) by Sulla on Monday June 26 2017, @08:03PM
Pretty sure I would rather die than read the headline "metric saves the planet".
Ceterum censeo Sinae esse delendam
(Score: 2) by Sulla on Monday June 26 2017, @08:13PM
Comes close on October 12nd at 06:07, what timezone is this? Wondering if there will be part of the world that will be Friday, October 13th. Spooky.
Ceterum censeo Sinae esse delendam