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Bus-Sized Asteroid Zips Past Earth

2011 MD comes within 7,500 miles

By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff

Posted Jun 28, 2011 2:42 AM CDT

(Newser) – Astronomers got a treat yesterday when an asteroid roughly the size of a bus passed within 7,500 miles of Earth—closer than many satellites. The space rock, named 2011 MD, was over the south Atlantic near Antarctica at the time of its closest approach, reports the Christian Science Monitor. The asteroid was only spotted a few days ago, but experts say it was too small to have survived entering Earth's atmosphere even if it was on a path to score a direct hit.

The asteroid, which had been in an orbit around the sun so Earth-like that astronomers initially thought it was a piece of space junk, was sent off on a new trajectory through the solar system by its close brush with Earth. Asteroids the size of 2011 MD pass close by Earth every 6 years or so on average, although one came even closer to our planet just a few months ago.

NASA's chart of 2011 MD's path.
NASA's chart of 2011 MD's path.   (NASA)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 3 comments
AstroDude
Jun 28, 2011 10:35 AM CDT
When exactly did this happen? Last night, yesterday morning, after lunch.. when?
JoeQ
Jun 28, 2011 10:26 AM CDT
Cool.  Its hard to tell from the news stories but, they said its orbit was Earth-like.  But if its point of closest approach was near the south pole, then its orbit is now no longer in the plane of the ecliptic, i.e. on longer Earth-like and probably far from circular.
lvan
Jun 28, 2011 5:00 AM CDT
Better put some diesel in it quick! We don't want space buses in our back yard! There are children playing with satellites for pit sakes.

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