Asteroid to pass by Earth
Asteroid to pass by Earth, An asteroid that’s 17 times the size of the Rogers Centre will be zipping by Earth tonight, close enough for you to see it with a store-bought telescope or binoculars.
It’s a safe and relatively rare chance to see the hunk of rogue rock called 2004 BL86, according to NASA.
“I may grab my favorite binoculars and give it a shot myself,” Don Yeomans, manager of NASA’s Near Earth Object Program Office in Pasadena, Calif., said in a statement.
The closest approach is expected between 9 and 11 p.m. Toronto time. It had earlier been expected to pass by in the morning.
The public can also watch it through a NASA live stream online.
“Asteroids are something special,” Yeomans said. “Not only did asteroids provide Earth with the building blocks of life and much of its water, but in the future, they will become valuable resources for mineral ores and other vital natural resources. They will also become the fueling stops for humanity as we continue to explore our solar system. There is something about asteroids that makes me want to look up.”
You don’t have to hide in the basement or put on a helmet, as 2004 BL86 isn’t expected to get any closer than 1.2 million kilometres from Earth.
It will be 200 years before it comes this close to earth again although you can look up and hopefully see Asteroid 199 in 2027.
Scientists have been monitoring Asteroid 2004 BL86 for 11 years.
Early reports had it passing by in the late morning, but NASA updated things on Monday morning to say it would appear between 9 and 11 p.m. EST.
It’s a safe and relatively rare chance to see the hunk of rogue rock called 2004 BL86, according to NASA.
“I may grab my favorite binoculars and give it a shot myself,” Don Yeomans, manager of NASA’s Near Earth Object Program Office in Pasadena, Calif., said in a statement.
The closest approach is expected between 9 and 11 p.m. Toronto time. It had earlier been expected to pass by in the morning.
The public can also watch it through a NASA live stream online.
“Asteroids are something special,” Yeomans said. “Not only did asteroids provide Earth with the building blocks of life and much of its water, but in the future, they will become valuable resources for mineral ores and other vital natural resources. They will also become the fueling stops for humanity as we continue to explore our solar system. There is something about asteroids that makes me want to look up.”
You don’t have to hide in the basement or put on a helmet, as 2004 BL86 isn’t expected to get any closer than 1.2 million kilometres from Earth.
It will be 200 years before it comes this close to earth again although you can look up and hopefully see Asteroid 199 in 2027.
Scientists have been monitoring Asteroid 2004 BL86 for 11 years.
Early reports had it passing by in the late morning, but NASA updated things on Monday morning to say it would appear between 9 and 11 p.m. EST.