2 asteroids to whiz harmlessly past Earth
The asteroids will zip past the planet on Wednesday and should be visible through a telescope.
By Associated PressTue, Sep 07 2010 at 4:48 PM EST
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SIGHT TO SEE: The asteroids were discovered Sunday by the NASA-funded Catalina Sky Survey in Arizona. The Minor Planet Center determined there was no chance of collision. (Photo: OnlyLight/iStockphoto)
NASA says two small asteroids discovered just days ago will zip harmlessly past Earth on Wednesday, a double flyby that should be visible through a telescope.
The asteroids were discovered Sunday by the NASA-funded Catalina Sky Survey in Arizona. The Minor Planet Center in Massachusetts, which tracks asteroids and comets, determined there was no chance of an Earth collision.
Asteroid 2010 RX30, thought to be 32 to 65 feet long, will pass within 154,000 miles of Earth shortly before 3 a.m. PDT Wednesday.
The second one, dubbed 2010 RF12, will fly by about 11 hours later at a distance of about 49,000 miles. NASA says the second one is 20 to 46 feet long.
Copyright 2010 AP News
Comments
Otis
09/08/2010 12:35 PM
So there's an asteroid -- big deal. It'll burn up in our atmosphere and whatever's left will be no bigger than a chihuahua's head. If I'm wrong, may we all be horribly crushed from above somehow.
Brad
09/08/2010 11:06 AM
I love watching the stars when you know that one might crash into the Earth....puts a bit of edge to it...
Bobby
09/08/2010 10:55 AM
I'll surely have my kids out there tonight.
