So I heard on the news tonight that Asteroid MD 2011 is supposedly supposed to come really close to earth about within 12,000km around June 27, 2011 3:00 AM PST
So I am just curious to what you guys think about this and if it is that close why doesn't earth pull it into earth? would anyone be willing to make a scenario of this in US
so I can see how it works.
ARTICLE:
By Amy Simmons
Updated 2 hours 25 minutes ago
Asteroid
2011 MD will be among the closest an asteroid has come to Earth. (File photo) (European Space Agency: C Carreau )
* Video: Approaching asteroid is harmless: astronomer (The Midday Report)
An asteroid which is set to pass within 12,000 kilometres of Earth tonight is a timely reminder there is more to our environment than meets the eye, astronomers say.
The 2011 MD asteroid, which is about the size of two buses, will pass over Australia about 11:00pm.
Experts say there is no chance of impact and Fred Watson from the Australian Astronomical Observatory says there won't be much of a spectacle.
He says the object is "tiny", and will only be visible from large telescopes in South Africa.
"The best place to see it will be just north of the Antarctic coast, about 3,000 kilometres Southwest of South Africa," he said.
"We won't see anything in Australia. If they've got quite big telescopes in South Africa they might see something."
He says it will look similar to a shooting star, but will move much more gracefully across the sky.
Mr Watson says while 2011 MD will pass "quite close" to the Earth, others have come much closer.
"There was another asteroid back in February this year which was down at 5,500 kilometres," he said. "But even then, nothing happened really."
This asteroid is bigger than the one in February, but Mr Watson says there is still no chance it will enter the Earth's atmosphere.
Even if it did, he says 2011 MD would pose no threat to life on Earth.
"Absolutely no possibility," he said.
"Its orbit is very well defined. Its nearest approach will be 12,000 kilometres. It's nowhere near the vicinity of the Earth."
It will, however, come close to several communications satellites.
"There is no danger of a collision though," he said.
"On the incoming trajectory of the asteroid it will pass outside the geosynchronous satellite and when it's outgoing it will pass inside.
"There are satellites that orbit at that distance but there aren't many of them. Most are either in a much lower or higher orbit."
Mr Watson says the closeness of 2011 MD is a reminder to people that events on Earth have the potential to be shaped by asteroids - "like the annihilation of the dinosaurs".
"It reminds people we live in an environment littered with debris of this kind, which is actually the leftovers of the solar system's formation about 4.6 billion years ago," he said.
"It alerts people to the fact we live in a dynamic environment and space is worth watching."
He says astronomers are keeping a close eye on an asteroid called Apophis, which will come very close to the Earth in 2029."
More at http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/06/27/3254447.htm?section=Justin
Topic: MD 2011 Near Asteroid said to pass Earth (Read 3251 times)
