Asteroids
Explanation:
No asteroid or comet is known to be on
a collision course with Earth.
The asteroid
designated 1997 XF11
had been predicted to come uncomfortably close,
but new estimates place its passing beyond the orbit of the Moon.
This earth-approaching
asteroid was discovered by
SpaceWatch astronomer Jim Scotti in December of last year.
Orbital computations using
new observations suggested that it would pass
within 30,000 miles of the Earth's center
on October 26, 2028 - a very near miss considering that
the radius of the Earth itself is about 4,000 miles.
However, more recent and further
refined calculations based on both
new and archival data
indicate that the closest approach will be 600,000 miles in 2028.
Imaged by NASA spacecraft,
the three potato-shaped objects above are
large main-belt asteroids
orbiting between Mars and Jupiter.
Shown to the same scale from left to right are
Mathilde,
Gaspra,
and
Ida.
Mathilde has dimensions of about 37 by 29 miles.
The asteroid 1997 XF11 is much smaller, probably a mile wide,
yet
the impact of
an asteroid of this
size could have
catastrophic effects.
Over the last two decades,
teams of astronomers have just begun
to catalog and track
near-earth objects.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
