Comments
danielravennest t1_jajhve6 wrote
Risk is based on size and impact probability. The asteroid with the highest risk ranking is 101955 Bennu. But it won't have a chance of impact until 2178.
We already sent a probe to it, and grabbed a sample that is due to land on Sept. 24th.
Everything else that shows up in news stories is either lower chance of impact, too small to do much damage, or so far in the future we're not worried yet.
On April 13th, 2029 the asteroid 99942 Apophis will pass only 31,600 km from the Earth's surface, but we know its orbit with 3 km uncertainty, so it will definitely miss us. The same probe that visited Bennu is being retasked to meet up with Apophis. There will probably be a lot of hype about that asteroid before it arrives.
Any other news story about asteroids approaching Earth are clickbait. If one that was a real hazard is discovered, it would be the top story in all the news media.
TheKingPotat t1_jamq2h6 wrote
The Aphophis flyby sounds like it will have immense scientific value for orbital and ground based telescopes to get a better look at it as well
danielravennest t1_jamzcnl wrote
It will be moving too fast for Hubble or Webb to track during the flyby (and Webb can't point towards Earth and the Sun). But they can try when it is farther away and appears to move more slowly. Some weather and military satellites in GEO may be able to spot it, and every telescope and radar on the ground will give it a try. Osiris-REX will be chasing it, and will try to boop Apophis like it did for the sample collection on Bennu, but the sample head is gone now.
TheKingPotat t1_jamzvkh wrote
Would optical observetories on the surface have any shot realistically? Or would it still move too fast
danielravennest t1_jan1f25 wrote
It will just appear as a streak or series of dots, like satellites do already. It will be visible to the unaided eye if you are in the right place to see it at its closest.
[deleted] t1_jaiatb9 wrote
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Scoobydoomed t1_jaibikb wrote
Site is blocked in Europe. What's does it say? How close? Should we not look up or Don't Panic?
pcockcock t1_jaidd9q wrote
The site doesn't really say anything interesting. You can't see them with the naked eye and they don't get close enough to be of concern. Here is a list of NEO approaches.
edit: imgur version of site
[deleted] t1_jaj1g1d wrote
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Repulsive_Poem_5204 t1_jaj5nzx wrote
I can't read "zoom" anymore without immediately thinking of a Mazda
[deleted] t1_jajbrv1 wrote
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the_fungible_man t1_jairxaf wrote
There are always several "large" asteroids passing a few million km from the Earth...