GIANT 800 ft. ASTEROID passing earth TONIGHT!! ( I got my popcorn ready)

[Nat Turner-reincarnated]

NASA detects asteroids approaching close to Earth through its Near Earth Object Observation Program




An 800-foot-wide (600m) chunk of rock will pass less than a half million miles from Earth on the night of Monday-Tuesday, Jan. 28-29. And because asteroid 2007 TU24 is crossing the far-northern sky, it will be visible all night at mid-northern latitudes. Stargazers at mid-northern latitudes can see asteroid 2007 TU24 all night during its closest approach, because it’s passing quite close to the North Star. On the night of closest approach, Monday-Tuesday (Jan. 28-29), the asteroid is predicted to be 11th magnitude or brighter all night for viewers in the Americas, making it visible in small telescopes and large binoculars. At its peak, about 8 hours after closest approach, the asteroid is forecast to be magnitude 10.3. And the brightness should fade fairly slowly, so TU24 will still be pretty easy to catch on the night of Jan. 29-30



Telegraph UK
By Nic Fleming Science Correspondent
01/28/2008

Thousands of astronomers will be hoping for clear skies on Tuesday so they can catch a glimpse of the largest asteroid to pass close to Earth for more than 20 years.

Asteroid 2007 TU24, which measures between 160 and 650 yards wide, should be visible high in the sky from Britain to amateurs with small telescopes.

It will come within 334,000 miles of Earth - just 1.4 times the distance to the Moon - at 8.33am GMT tomorrow.

The last time such a large asteroid came so close to Earth was in September 1985, and the next comparable approach will be in 2027.

Prof Paul Murdin, of the Royal Astronomical Society, said: “It will be really exciting from a scientific point of view to be able to study an asteroid up close.

“For astronomers who work by bouncing radar off nearby objects, the nearer the asteroid, the clearer the picture – allowing us to study its shape, whether there are craters or any orbiting satellites.”

Images captured by NASA’s Goldstone radio telescope in California earlier this month show 2007 TU24 has an unusual shape and may have been formed from two separate asteroids stuck together.

The pictures also suggest the asteroid is rotating slowly, maybe every 10 to 30 hours.

Further information on its rate of rotation will provide astronomers with clues as to whether they are looking at solid rock or a loose collection of rubble.

If a large asteroid was ever discovered to be on a collision course with Earth, knowing its size, shape and rotation rate would be vital in order to plan for ways to deflect it.

If the skies are clear tomorrow night astronomers with telescopes with a 3ins diameter lens or larger should be able to see asteroid 2007 TU24 high in the sky in the Great Bear constellation.

NASA detects and tracks asteroids and comets approaching close to Earth through its Near Earth Object Observation Program to identify any with the potential to collide with our planet.

[Joseph Bonanno]

Asteroids were invented by the white devil to distract earths original man from his trickery. dont do it bro

[~Lucien~]

Asteroids were invented by the white devil to distract earths original man from his trickery. dont do it bro

whahahahahahaha nuts

[Nat Turner-reincarnated]

Asteroids were invented by the white devil to distract earths original man from his trickery. dont do it bro

whahahahahahaha nuts

ignore his stupidity