He is known as 2005 YU55. This is an asteroid about 400 meters in diameter and is part of the list of potentially dangerous to Earth. The November 8 will just over 200,000 km. of our planet which, in astronomical terms, is equivalent to a bullet whistling in your ear.
Due to its size and how close they pass us, many observatories around the world are already tuning their instruments to keep details of the "encounter." Discovered in 2005 by astronomers at the University of Arizona, it is estimated that a rock of this size happens around the Earth once every thirty years.
to Don Yeomans, director of program NEOs to Earth (NEO) of NASA, when it passes can be obtained radar images at a resolution even higher than that obtained by recent missions to study asteroids.
could end falling to the Earth 2005 Yu55 has a very slow rotation and is part of the list of asteroids that sometime in the future, could end up falling to Earth. "We're prepared for this visit," says Lance Benner meanwhile, Jet Propulsion Laboratory scientist and expert in radar imaging of nearby objects.
The asteroid was not discovered until 2010
"the asteroid will be closer has passed since 1976," Benner added. "That said, add that no one could see during the 2010 XC15 approach that year, only half of the lunar distance." An asteroid, of course, that was not discovered until 2010, four years after his "visit."
"Therefore, continues Benner - the last of 2005 YU55 be the best and the closest of all objects seen so far so great, which represents a unique opportunity. Literally, we can produce images of comparable resolution or even better than many probes. "
Although in the future could become dangerous, quoting the November 8 poses no danger to our planet. An object 400 meters as 2005 YU55 could, in case of hitting a big city, destroying it completely and causing severe damage to several hundreds of km. radius.
Source: Astronomy Blog
Mr X
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