INCOMING!, Detection and observation of Earth-approaching asteroids. |
INCOMING!, Detection and observation of Earth-approaching asteroids. |
Oct 6 2008, 07:53 PM
Post
#1
|
|
Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1729 Joined: 3-August 06 From: 43° 35' 53" N 1° 26' 35" E Member No.: 1004 |
no sone seems to have noticed this yet
|
|
|
Oct 6 2008, 07:57 PM
Post
#2
|
|
Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2922 Joined: 14-February 06 From: Very close to the Pyrénées Mountains (France) Member No.: 682 |
Too much info kill the info! Where do we have to look? I've seen something will hit the atmosphere tonigth over Sudan, correct?
-------------------- |
|
|
Oct 6 2008, 07:58 PM
Post
#3
|
|
Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 3652 Joined: 1-October 05 From: Croatia Member No.: 523 |
Whoa! Any chance of organizing a crash observing campain from ground or even orbit?
-------------------- |
|
|
Oct 6 2008, 07:58 PM
Post
#4
|
|
Member Group: Members Posts: 544 Joined: 17-November 05 From: Oklahoma Member No.: 557 |
An asteroid... well, really a meteor, is now predicted to hit the atmosphere.
First time I know we have had advanced warning on a single natural object. MPEC report Quote: "Steve Chesley (JPL) reports that atmospheric entry will occur on 2008 Oct 07 0246 UTC over northern Sudan." |
|
|
Oct 6 2008, 08:00 PM
Post
#5
|
|
Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1075 Joined: 21-September 07 From: Québec, Canada Member No.: 3908 |
Any idea how big is this rock?
|
|
|
Oct 6 2008, 08:03 PM
Post
#6
|
|
Senior Member Group: Moderator Posts: 2785 Joined: 10-November 06 From: Pasadena, CA Member No.: 1345 |
QUOTE The absolute magnitude indicates that the object will not survive passage through the atmosphere. Steve Chesley (JPL) reports that atmospheric entry will occur on 2008 Oct 07 0246 UTC over northern Sudan. Don't sell all your stocks yet, looks like we'll live to see another day.... -------------------- Some higher resolution images available at my photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/31678681@N07/
|
|
|
Oct 6 2008, 08:05 PM
Post
#7
|
|
Member Group: Members Posts: 646 Joined: 23-December 05 From: Forest of Dean Member No.: 617 |
Is this the first time a fireball's been predicted in advance? I was very interested in meteor observing for a few years and read a lot of stuff (it seems so in retrospect, anyway) but I don't recall ever hearing of an event like this.
For those of us who can't interpret the MPEC data or ephemerides, what does the absolute magnitude mentioned tell us about the size of this object? -------------------- --
Viva software libre! |
|
|
Oct 6 2008, 08:12 PM
Post
#8
|
|
Member Group: Members Posts: 524 Joined: 24-November 04 From: Heraklion, GR. Member No.: 112 |
Hey guys, don't just tear your swimming suits apart.
The link says that it will disintegrate in the atmosphere, as Juramike already pointed in the duplicate thread. Why do you scare us with no reason ? THANKS FOR POINTING OUT THE DUPLICATE - BOTH TOPICS NOW MERGED -Admin You 're welcome ! |
|
|
Oct 6 2008, 08:19 PM
Post
#9
|
|
Member Group: Members Posts: 544 Joined: 17-November 05 From: Oklahoma Member No.: 557 |
There have been at least three revisions in the last hour, a lot of people are looking at this object.
Hard to say, but now it looks like it may be a near miss, by about a thousand miles. The latest Mpec doesn't state whether an impact is still expected. The absolute magnitude indicates a size of two to seven meters. Gosh, I just mixed english and metric units in the same post. Edit: Five meters big at most, more likely two to three. Absolute magnitude of 30.4 |
|
|
Oct 6 2008, 08:45 PM
Post
#10
|
|
Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2922 Joined: 14-February 06 From: Very close to the Pyrénées Mountains (France) Member No.: 682 |
30.4!!! Gona be visible over the horizont!
-------------------- |
|
|
Oct 6 2008, 08:46 PM
Post
#11
|
|
Member Group: Members Posts: 544 Joined: 17-November 05 From: Oklahoma Member No.: 557 |
Space.com is now reporting the story, and says atmospheric entry is expected.
Link The report also emphatically states that it will be destroyed at altitude, and doesn't pose a significant danger. True enough... if it's not a nickle-iron. |
|
|
Oct 6 2008, 09:30 PM
Post
#12
|
|
Member Group: Members Posts: 813 Joined: 8-February 04 From: Arabia Terra Member No.: 12 |
I wonder if it can be imaged from orbit during entry a la Mars Phoenix? Probably too much uncertainty.
|
|
|
Oct 6 2008, 09:31 PM
Post
#13
|
|
Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1229 Joined: 24-December 05 From: The blue one in between the yellow and red ones. Member No.: 618 |
From TPS:
QUOTE The meteor is expected to be visible from eastern Africa as an extremely bright fireball traveling rapidly across the sky from northeast to southwest. The object is expected to enter the atmosphere over northern Sudan at a shallow angle. "We're eager for observations from astronomers near the asteroid's approach path. We really hope that someone will manage to photograph it," said Williams. Shoot! My SR71 is in maintenance, or I'd be over there like a shot. -------------------- My Grandpa goes to Mars every day and all I get are these lousy T-shirts!
|
|
|
Oct 6 2008, 09:44 PM
Post
#14
|
|
Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 3516 Joined: 4-November 05 From: North Wales Member No.: 542 |
It may be small and harmless, but for me knowing it is on the way represents a huge psychological milestone. It is a great achievement by those watchers of the skies who search for these objects that the fall of a meteorite need no longer take us by surprise. It feels as though in one more small way we have 'grown up' as a species. If it had been a bit larger and aimed at a suburb near you, you would already have heard when to head for the cellar (and felt quite safe out of doors until a few seconds beforehand).
|
|
|
Oct 6 2008, 09:44 PM
Post
#15
|
|
Member Group: Members Posts: 813 Joined: 8-February 04 From: Arabia Terra Member No.: 12 |
I guess once LSST and PanSTARRS come online we'll get these kind of alerts fairly regularly. I imagine it will change the public perception of 'asteroid impact predicted!' headlines a lot. People will go from thinking of the end of the world to thinking of photo ops + a mad scramble for very valuable rocks.
|
|
|
Lo-Fi Version | Time is now: 31st October 2024 - 10:49 PM |
RULES AND GUIDELINES Please read the Forum Rules and Guidelines before posting. IMAGE 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. |