Asteroid to make close encounter tonight

EARTH: -- Question: What has a diameter about the same as the Heroines Monument, weighs the same as 10,000 London buses, and flies at 23 times the speed of sound?

Answer: 2012DA14, an asteroid that is currently approaching earth on a near-collision course.

Experts from US space agency NASA say that the asteroid will come closest to earth early tomorrow morning, at 2:25 local time, and will pass over Sumatra, making it close enough to be seen easily from Phuket.

At its closest, the asteroid will be 27,700 kilometers from Earth which, say the boffins, is the smallest distance yet recorded in the history of close encounter observations.

Were it to collide with Earth, the impact of the asteroid would release energy equivalent to a 2.5-megaton nuclear bomb, or 150 times the size of the bomb used by the US to destroy 69 per cent of the Japanese city of Nagasaki in 1945.

Happily, according to the researchers, there is no risk of collision with the planet, though the huge chunk of rock will pass through a zone of space cluttered with weather and telecommunications satellites.

Live broadcast

NASA will broadcast the event live, beginning at 2am local time. The broadcast can be seen here.

http://www.ustream.tv/nasajpl2

-- 2013-02-15

It's an attack by the bugs ! Join the Mobile Infantry now ! Service Guarantees Citizenship !

Could it be the case that a lot of undetected smaller meteorites are accompanying this rock.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/15/us-russia-meteorite-idUSBRE91E05Z20130215

Forget about Earth - gotta save Mars.

I think there was an even closer one in Russia this morning, well it made a big bang and injured hundreds of people.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21468116

Why does this feel like the start of a disaster movie?

ahhh we now have the reason why TOT was offline all day

Edited February 15, 201313 yr by MJCM

Think i'll put my back up hard drive in a biscuit tin tonight

Well a little extra light in the sky will be interesting but I think somehow I will not be awake to see it.

Won't be seen "easily" from Phuket, as not visible with naked eye. With binoculars and an exact knowledge of where it is in the sky you might possibly see something, if you're lucky.

http://earthsky.org/space/who-will-see-the-february-15-asteroid-flyby

Edited February 15, 201313 yr by partington

Forget about Earth - gotta save Mars.

All the rest of you, please take this seriously, if Mars goes we will never work rest or play again.

http://youtu.be/yWTanCmQAxk

Some interesting videos from Russia here.. http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronomy/2013/02/15/breaking_huge_meteor_explodes_over_russia.html

I noticed that the closest approach distance has be getting smaller and smaller.

I have my exit path figured out

Has anyone got a tracker for this thing yet? I have my telescope out ready. going to catch some z's and try to get up by 1AM

Next close call that we know about is in 2029, Apophis is said to be getting closer on each pass.

Fawk me, I'm in BangSaphan, something really weird going on. Step outside, see a procession of at least 7 bright yellow lights in the sky, travelling form south to north. OK, they are probably just regular KL- BKK flights, bunched up.

Just for nostalgia, watching 'Starship Troopers' tonight

[good call Kerryd

> It's an attack by the bugs ! Join the Mobile Infantry now ! Service Guarantees Citizenship ! <]

I'm only two bottles into a regular 3-bottle Siam Sato day. Haven't yet made a will in favour of new GF. Am I up shit creek? -certainly not yet pissed. AA

I noticed that the closest approach distance has be getting smaller and smaller.

I have my exit path figured out

Has anyone got a tracker for this thing yet? I have my telescope out ready. going to catch some z's and try to get up by 1AM

http://www.satflare.com/track.asp?q=a2012da14#TOP

Check the google map at the bottom..

Can see it LIVE already in the ustream link... Coming very fast..

http://www.ustream.tv/nasajpl2

Fawk me, I'm in BangSaphan, something really weird going on. Step outside, see a procession of at least 7 bright yellow lights in the sky, travelling form south to north. OK, they are probably just regular KL- BKK flights, bunched up.

That'll likely be khom loy

Couldn't care less, drinking in Moscow now...

The latest...

I noticed that the closest approach distance has be getting smaller and smaller.

I have my exit path figured out

Has anyone got a tracker for this thing yet? I have my telescope out ready. going to catch some z's and try to get up by 1AM

http://www.satflare....q=a2012da14#TOP

Check the google map at the bottom..

exactly what i was looking for!

Thanks!

When will this happen in Bangkok ? I have to go to sleep soon .

Just past closest approach. distance is increasing. I'm headed to bed. too much moisture in the air to acquire via telescope

past its closest approach to Earth a couple of minutes ago.. now on its way back to the dark depths.

Cant see it with naked eye. need a binock or telescope. should be passing from south soutwest to north northwest. for the next 20 mins almost directly overhead, slightly to the west.

Sh*t, now i cant get back to sleep!

If i only had some xanax lol

Cant see it with naked eye. need a binock or telescope. should be passing from south soutwest to north northwest. for the next 20 mins almost directly overhead, slightly to the west.

same here in Laos, can't see it with naked eye... did you (or anyone?) see it with a binock or telescope?

Time to Zzzzzz...

about to cross the 36k km geo sync sat altitude... going out for a last look north north west... you never know...

ahaa, saw a bit of a white sprinkle that lasted 1/2 second...

anyone else? (just passed 36.500 km, a bit north / north west of vertical...)

Thai says meteor blast 'normal'

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- A Thai astronomer yesterday downplayed the significance of the meteor that exploded over Russia yesterday, hours before an asteroid is due to pass close by the Earth this morning.

Dr Saran Posayajinda, deputy director of the National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand, said asteroid 2012 DA14 was not on a collision course with Earth.

2012 DA14 was expected to pass within 27,300 kilometres of the Earth at 2.25am this morning local time, but will not be visible to the naked eye.

Saran said his institute would observe the asteroid using a 2.4-metre-wide telescope at the observatory on Doi Inthanon mountain in Chiang Mai.

He said the meteor blast in the atmosphere over Russia was a normal phenomenon. Four similar incidents have been witnessed in Thailand: in the skies above Nakhon Pathom in 1923; in Chiang Khan in Loei province in 1981; in Ban Rongkhu, Phetchabun in 1993; and in Phitsanulok in 2009. In the 2009 incident a meteorite struck a house but no one was injured.

-- The Nation 2013-02-16

RELATED:

Meteorite hits Russia: official

http://www.thaivisa....ussia-official/