Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search
Newser - Current News - Breaking Stories

« Back to the grid | Next story »

Asteroid to Whiz Past Earth

Posted Jan 25, 08 9:49 AM CST in Science & Health 

(Newser) – A big asteroid is set to speed past Earth on Tuesday night, and those with amateur telescopes will get a peek. NASA discovered the object in October, and scientists believe it's between 500 and 2,000 feet in diameter, LiveScience reports. It won't come closer than 334,000 miles to Earth; the impact of an asteroid of its size would be disastrous.

Aspiring astronomers are urged to take advantage, because the next asteroid to pass Earth's orbit isn't expected until 2027. Experts have identified only 7,000 of the asteroids that orbit the sun—most of which hang out in a belt between Mars and Jupiter. One could eventually head for Earth and cause a tsunami, but such an event only takes place every 37,000 years.
Source: LiveScience

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • Moon Will Appear Extra Bright Tonight

    Dec 12, 08 4:29 PM CST
    Moon Will Appear Extra Bright Tonight If tonight’s full moon looks bigger and brighter than normal, that’s because it is, Space.com reports. The satellite reaches its perigree today, making its position the closest of the year to Earth—though still some 222,000 miles away. The moon's irregular orbit causes the distance to vary.


    More »

  • Odds of Cataclysmic Space-Rock Crash: 1 in 10

    May 25, 08 6:19 AM CDT
    Odds of Cataclysmic Space-Rock Crash: 1 in 10 Chicken Little may have been smarter than we thought. A growing body of evidence reveals that the sky is falling, or at least gigantic space rocks are—and the Earth is at far greater risk of a catastrophic strike than previously thought, reports Atlantic. Despite the danger—an impact could make a nuclear bomb look like a firecracker—NASA is expending little effort to protect the planet. More »

  • Asteroids Could Reseed a Devastated Earth

    May 18, 08 3:13 PM CDT
    Asteroids Could Reseed a Devastated Earth If a comet ever obliterates life on Earth, don't worry—space rocks could later fall in and reseed a few basic life forms. A new study shows that organisms can survive being hit by a meteor, ejected into space, and hurtled back to Earth on the face of a rock—which is good news should we ever go the way of the dinosaurs, Astrobiology reports. More »

  • Asteroid Won't Slam Into Mars After All

    Jan 11, 08 4:24 AM CST
    Asteroid Won't Slam Into Mars After All An asteroid heading toward Mars won't crash into it after all, according to disappointed scientists. They had initially calculated there was a 1-in-27 chance of the space rock hitting the red planet, but after new observations researchers estimate the odds are only 1 in 10,000, "effectively ruling out the possible collision," according to the latest report. More »

  • Mars Smash Looking Likelier

    Dec 29, 07 7:55 AM CST
    Mars Smash Looking Likelier Scientists say the chances of a giant asteroid smashing into Mars on January 30 have gone up steeply, the AP reports. It's still a 25-1 longshot, but stargazers have their fingers crossed. I think it'll be cool," said a NASA tracker. "Usually when an asteroid is headed toward Earth, I'm not rooting for an impact." More »

The asteroid, roughly the size of several football fields, will be visible through a modest-sized telescope the night of January 29.   (Shutterstock.com)
  (Shutterstock.com)
  (Getty Images)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Our editors also recommend:

Related Threads

(1 of 1)

Tags

NASA • Mars • astronomy • Earth • asteroid • orbit


Loading...

Today's Most Popular

[ Stories ]

Threads

Loading...

Other Science & Health Stories