Asteroid with Tunguska event-like potential just misses Earth

Luminari · 03-03-2009, 12:28 PM

Asteroid DD45
1 hour ago

PARIS (AFP) — An asteroid of a similar size to a rock that exploded above Siberia in 1908 with the force of a thousand atomic bombs whizzed close past Earth on Monday, astronomers said on Tuesday.

2009 DD45, estimated to be between 21 and 47 meters (68 and 152 feet) across, raced by at 1344 GMT on Monday, the Planetary Society and astronomers' blogs reported.

The gap was just 72,000 kilometers (44,750 miles), or a fifth of the distance between Earth and the Moon and only twice the height of satellites in geosynchronous orbit, the website space.com said.

The estimated size is similar to that of an asteroid or comet that exploded above Tunguska, Siberia, on June 30 1908, flattening 80 million trees in a swathe of more than 2,000 square kilometres (800 square miles).

2009 DD45 was spotted last Saturday by astronomers at the Siding Spring Survey in Australia, and was verified by the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Centre (MPC), which catalogues Solar System rocks.

The closest flyby listed by the MPC is 2004 FU162, a small asteroid about six metres (20 feet) across which came within about 6,500 kms (4,000 miles) of us in March 2004.

Luminari · 03-03-2009, 12:32 PM

Bring on the boob jokes 'Double-D'

Seriously, I wonder why no one mentioned this before it happened?

Luminari · 03-03-2009, 12:53 PM

If you haven't heard of the Tunguska event before please report here:
http://www.crystalinks.com/tunguskaevent.html for debriefing

Luminari · 03-03-2009, 03:21 PM

This one broke through our atmosphere back in '72.

Dantheman62 · 03-03-2009, 03:39 PM

Here's another thread on Tunguska... http://projectavalon.net/forum/showthread.php?t=11652

Dantheman62 · 03-03-2009, 03:51 PM

DD45 is listed here on this site along with a lot of others... http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/ca/

In fact a new one just showed up while I was typing this!

Orion11 · 03-03-2009, 09:35 PM

woohoo!!

Dantheman62 · 03-03-2009, 10:05 PM

huh cool video, and nice new avatar Kathleen.

03-03-2009, 12:28 PM	#1
Luminari Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Australia Posts: 2,570	Asteroid with Tunguska event-like potential just misses Earth *Asteroid DD45* 1 hour ago PARIS (AFP) — An asteroid of a similar size to a rock that exploded above Siberia in 1908 with the force of a thousand atomic bombs whizzed close past Earth on Monday, astronomers said on Tuesday. 2009 DD45, estimated to be between 21 and 47 meters (68 and 152 feet) across, raced by at 1344 GMT on Monday, the Planetary Society and astronomers' blogs reported. The gap was just 72,000 kilometers (44,750 miles), or a fifth of the distance between Earth and the Moon and only twice the height of satellites in geosynchronous orbit, the website space.com said. The estimated size is similar to that of an asteroid or comet that exploded above Tunguska, Siberia, on June 30 1908, flattening 80 million trees in a swathe of more than 2,000 square kilometres (800 square miles). 2009 DD45 was spotted last Saturday by astronomers at the Siding Spring Survey in Australia, and was verified by the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Centre (MPC), which catalogues Solar System rocks. The closest flyby listed by the MPC is 2004 FU162, a small asteroid about six metres (20 feet) across which came within about 6,500 kms (4,000 miles) of us in March 2004.

03-03-2009, 12:32 PM	#2
Luminari Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Australia Posts: 2,570	Re: Asteroid with Tunguska event-like potential just misses Earth Bring on the boob jokes 'Double-D' Seriously, I wonder why no one mentioned this before it happened?

03-03-2009, 12:53 PM	#3
Luminari Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Australia Posts: 2,570	Re: Asteroid with Tunguska event-like potential just misses Earth If you haven't heard of the Tunguska event before please report here: http://www.crystalinks.com/tunguskaevent.html for debriefing

03-03-2009, 03:21 PM	#4
Luminari Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Australia Posts: 2,570	Re: Asteroid with Tunguska event-like potential just misses Earth This one broke through our atmosphere back in '72.

03-03-2009, 03:39 PM	#5
Dantheman62 Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: So. Cal. U.S. Posts: 4,205	Re: Asteroid with Tunguska event-like potential just misses Earth Here's another thread on Tunguska... http://projectavalon.net/forum/showthread.php?t=11652

03-03-2009, 03:51 PM	#6
Dantheman62 Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: So. Cal. U.S. Posts: 4,205	Re: Asteroid with Tunguska event-like potential just misses Earth DD45 is listed here on this site along with a lot of others... http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/ca/ In fact a new one just showed up while I was typing this! Last edited by Dantheman62; 03-03-2009 at 04:04 PM.

03-03-2009, 09:35 PM	#7
Orion11 Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 1,098	Re: Asteroid with Tunguska event-like potential just misses Earth woohoo!!

03-03-2009, 10:05 PM	#8
Dantheman62 Avalon Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: So. Cal. U.S. Posts: 4,205	Re: Asteroid with Tunguska event-like potential just misses Earth huh cool video, and nice new avatar Kathleen.