Watch Live: A "Potentially Hazardous" Near-Earth Asteroid to Fly By Tonight

 

                          

 

Watch it live tonight: An asteroid that NASA astronomers compared to the size of a city block dubbed 2012 LZ1, is roughly 502 metres wide, and will come within 14 "lunar distances" — a measurement of the distance from the Earth to the moon — from our planet. A few days ago astronomers first noticed the giant asteroid's flight path. The broadcast of the flyby will be available on Slooh's website --click here-- starting at 8 p.m. ET.

The high-powered Slooh Space Camera Telescope predicts the asteroid will be visible on a live online feed from the Canary Islands. ET, though it won't be detectable by the naked eye. While the 2012 LZ1 will likely come within 5.4 million kilometers of Earth, we are not in danger of an impact.

In May, the 2012 JU school-bus sized asteroid gave us a closer shave, coming within 191,500 kilometres to our planet. In November, the massive 2005 YU55 asteroid the size of an aircraft carrier also came within an astronomical whisker of impact with Earth, zooming past about 325,000 kilometres away, and just inside the moon's orbit. That asteroid was the closest asteroid flyby in 30 years.

 

                   

If the past is prelude, there's bound to be a massive collision event from a rogue asteroid at some point in the "near" future unless we successfully intervene.The "Impact Map of the World" above shows most of the 160 impact craters that have been identified since 1950. The bulk of the terrestrial impact craters that were ever formed, however, have been obliterated by eons of geological processes.

The NASA image below shows the near-Earth asteroid Eros in 2000.

 

          

The Daily Galaxy via http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov

Image credit: http://www.seismologik.com/journal/2011/2/8/strange-caller-earthquakes-and-a-near-earth-object.html

Comments

[jemuel edwards]

but what happen if it come off course what would happen then

[Todd X]

If "we are not in danger of an impact," why do you call this "potentially hazardous"?

[moose]

Just ask the dinosaurs, right? ?

[compressor]

Apophis
Dig a hole, it's either your grave or your cave.

[John]

Jemuel.....hence the word "potentially". The potential is if it were on course it would kill us all. If it hit the moon it could could rain down thousands of smaller bits killing people all over the place. The "potential" for catastrophe is real.

[Yordan]

Probably "potentially" is added because due some of it's orbits could do the impact.

Maybe it is time to set 1-2 giant lazers and a few nukes on the moon , or high orbit...

[California Z]

My favorite science story of the week is that Neandertals got vindicated - again.

[Lee]

During the Reagan years a international space defense program existed and was called the Space defense initiative (SDI). If this program was implemented it would have protected the Earth from a Asteroid impact and also rendering the delivery systems of nuclear war obsolete. Today the Russians and Chinese are very much interested in a program like this but NATO is adamant on developing missile defense shields in Europe and Asia to surround these nations to gain the advantage of a first strike capability through proxy of someone like Barack or Mitt.

[Max Jones]

->During the Reagan years a international space defense
->program existed and was called the Space defense
->initiative (SDI). If this program was implemented it
->would have protected the Earth from a Asteroid impact
->and also rendering the delivery systems of nuclear war
->obsolete.

You have to know someone would call you on that peice of BS. :D seriously... you all need to stop lying about everything.

[kristi276]

Unlike the dinosaurs of old who was wiped off of the face of the earth by a near earth object, we have the technology to intervene in the event of a emergency. Unfortunately, we don't have giant lasers on the moon nor do we have missiles that can be giant asteroid killers that would, like Superman or Superwoman, come to save the day. While we debate on the possibilities of an asteroid striking Earth, these fly-by shootings seem to be getting closer and closer. If you stand in the middle of an interstate highway, you are bound to get hit; sooner or later.

[Superman]

Superwoman??? You mean Supergirl?? DOH!! I am SO sexist!