IPB

Welcome Guest ( Log In | Register )

27 Pages V  < 1 2 3 4 > »   
Reply to this topicStart new topic
INCOMING!, Detection and observation of Earth-approaching asteroids.
Holder of the Tw...
post Oct 6 2008, 10:39 PM
Post #16


Member
***

Group: Members
Posts: 540
Joined: 17-November 05
From: Oklahoma
Member No.: 557



Man, I've never seen anything quite like this. Twenty observatories have turned in collectively nearly 200 observations of this object, and the Minor Planet Center is issuing updates about every fifteen minutes. This little rock is definitely getting it's share of attention.

A fair number of professional observatories seem to be poised to follow this thing almost into the ground.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Shaka
post Oct 6 2008, 10:53 PM
Post #17


Senior Member
****

Group: Members
Posts: 1229
Joined: 24-December 05
From: The blue one in between the yellow and red ones.
Member No.: 618



LINKS, man! Give us links, HTL!


--------------------
My Grandpa goes to Mars every day and all I get are these lousy T-shirts!
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Holder of the Tw...
post Oct 6 2008, 10:59 PM
Post #18


Member
***

Group: Members
Posts: 540
Joined: 17-November 05
From: Oklahoma
Member No.: 557



Link

Anything with 2008 TC3. Most recent on top.

BTW: "HTL"? Whazzat?
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Juramike
post Oct 6 2008, 11:31 PM
Post #19


Senior Member
****

Group: Moderator
Posts: 2785
Joined: 10-November 06
From: Pasadena, CA
Member No.: 1345



I guess they won't be seeing it from here (bad luck!): Haboob sandstorm in Sudan


--------------------
Some higher resolution images available at my photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/31678681@N07/
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
dmuller
post Oct 6 2008, 11:38 PM
Post #20


Member
***

Group: Members
Posts: 340
Joined: 11-April 08
From: Sydney, Australia
Member No.: 4093



If this thing is coming in shallow from NE to SW then it should be visible in Alexandria, Cairo, Egyptian tourist destinations, maybe as far down as Khartoum ... so there is some chance to get it on film. If I get my timzones right, it will be night then. Anybody's got a groundtrack?


--------------------
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
volcanopele
post Oct 6 2008, 11:46 PM
Post #21


Senior Member
****

Group: Moderator
Posts: 3226
Joined: 11-February 04
From: Tucson, AZ
Member No.: 23



hmm, I think my Celestia copy needs fixing. Using the most up-to-date orbital parameters, I get a miss distance of 5,850 km over North Africa.


--------------------
&@^^!% Jim! I'm a geologist, not a physicist!
The Gish Bar Times - A Blog all about Jupiter's Moon Io
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Fran Ontanaya
post Oct 6 2008, 11:55 PM
Post #22


Member
***

Group: Members
Posts: 293
Joined: 22-September 08
From: Spain
Member No.: 4350



The NEO Program lists it as a close approach at 0.02 LD. That's under 8000 km.

http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/ca/

It was briefly in the Recently Observed list of Impact Risk, with dates beyond 2080, but it isn't anymore.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Holder of the Tw...
post Oct 6 2008, 11:59 PM
Post #23


Member
***

Group: Members
Posts: 540
Joined: 17-November 05
From: Oklahoma
Member No.: 557



Used a reliable horizon calculator to come up with some figures. Provided you have a clear horizon.

When it is at 20 miles altitude (32 km), under perfect seeing, it should be visible for over 400 miles (640 km) in every direction. It will probably survive down to this far.

It should also be glowing brightly at 50 miles altitude (80 km), and at that point be seen for at least 650 miles (1000 km).
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
dmuller
post Oct 7 2008, 12:47 AM
Post #24


Member
***

Group: Members
Posts: 340
Joined: 11-April 08
From: Sydney, Australia
Member No.: 4093



Emily pointed to a beautiful simulation of the event at http://orbit.psi.edu/?q=node/22


--------------------
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
elakdawalla
post Oct 7 2008, 12:56 AM
Post #25


Administrator
****

Group: Admin
Posts: 5172
Joined: 4-August 05
From: Pasadena, CA, USA, Earth
Member No.: 454



By the way, discussion on Minor Planets Mailing List (which is where I got the link to that simulation) indicates that the press release wasn't correct when it described the flight direction -- it's not coming in from northeast, it's coming in more from the west, basically over the Sahara.

--Emily


--------------------
My website - My Patreon - @elakdawalla on Twitter - Please support unmannedspaceflight.com by donating here.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
volcanopele
post Oct 7 2008, 01:00 AM
Post #26


Senior Member
****

Group: Moderator
Posts: 3226
Joined: 11-February 04
From: Tucson, AZ
Member No.: 23



I agree, that's the direction I got from my simulation in Celestia.


--------------------
&@^^!% Jim! I'm a geologist, not a physicist!
The Gish Bar Times - A Blog all about Jupiter's Moon Io
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Holder of the Tw...
post Oct 7 2008, 01:00 AM
Post #27


Member
***

Group: Members
Posts: 540
Joined: 17-November 05
From: Oklahoma
Member No.: 557



QUOTE (Shaka @ Oct 6 2008, 06:48 PM) *
Er.. thanks, HTL. (If I wrote Holder of the Two Leashes every time, my posts would get trashed for wasting bandwidth.)
When you referred to loads of observatories, I sort of anticipated a CometCam live picture.
Ephemera are nice, but not very sexy. blink.gif


My bad. I'm one of the very few people who could even get a little excited over watching raw positional information pouring in.

Here is one real picture: Sky and Telescope

I'm pretty sure just about every other pic of 2008 TC3 looks like that at this point.

In a couple of hours, we may be getting some much more spectacular shots.

A lot of people will shorten my title to "Holder", and I'll answer to that. The dogs don't mind, either. Actually, they don't have a clue.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
nprev
post Oct 7 2008, 01:19 AM
Post #28


Merciless Robot
****

Group: Admin
Posts: 8783
Joined: 8-December 05
From: Los Angeles
Member No.: 602



"Major Bolide Forecast Tonight; No Damage Expected" (S&T from Holder's link.)


What a headline!!! What a time to be alive!!! Nigel is absolutely right; this is marvelous, this is an expansion of our general situational awareness. We've always grown thereby through such things.


--------------------
A few will take this knowledge and use this power of a dream realized as a force for change, an impetus for further discovery to make less ancient dreams real.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Hungry4info
post Oct 7 2008, 01:39 AM
Post #29


Senior Member
****

Group: Members
Posts: 1414
Joined: 26-July 08
Member No.: 4270



If I did the math right, just a few more minutes until impact.

Two ways to look at it.

-> Small asteroid hits planet. No damage done.
-> Comparatively HUGE freaking Planet hits an asteroid, obliterating it. Owned.

Either way, the asteroid will be one with the planet. I look forward to pictures (I hope we get some).


--------------------
-- Hungry4info (Sirius_Alpha)
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
claurel
post Oct 7 2008, 01:44 AM
Post #30


Junior Member
**

Group: Members
Posts: 35
Joined: 28-September 05
From: Seattle, WA
Member No.: 514



Here's a Celestia simulation of 2008 TC3's entry into Earth's atmopshere:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FW3oaZgCz0

The green circle indicates the region where the asteroid is visible over the horizon. The trajectory of 2008 TC3 was taken from HORIZONS (about an hour ago.)

--Chris
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post

27 Pages V  < 1 2 3 4 > » 
Reply to this topicStart new topic

 



RSS Lo-Fi Version Time is now: 28th March 2024 - 10:39 PM
RULES AND GUIDELINES
Please read the Forum Rules and Guidelines before posting.

IMAGE COPYRIGHT
Images posted on UnmannedSpaceflight.com may be copyrighted. Do not reproduce without permission. Read here for further information on space images and copyright.

OPINIONS AND MODERATION
Opinions expressed on UnmannedSpaceflight.com are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of UnmannedSpaceflight.com or The Planetary Society. The all-volunteer UnmannedSpaceflight.com moderation team is wholly independent of The Planetary Society. The Planetary Society has no influence over decisions made by the UnmannedSpaceflight.com moderators.
SUPPORT THE FORUM
Unmannedspaceflight.com is funded by the Planetary Society. Please consider supporting our work and many other projects by donating to the Society or becoming a member.