NEWS
Asteroid 2005 YU Flyby
(Text and data from NASA)
NASA scientists will be tracking asteroid 2005 YU55 with antennas of the agency's Deep Space Network at Goldstone, Calif., as the space rock safely
flies past Earth slightly closer than the moon's orbit on Nov. 8. Scientists are treating the flyby of the 1,300-foot-wide (400-meter) asteroid as a
science target of opportunity - allowing instruments on "spacecraft Earth" to scan it during the close pass.
Tracking of the aircraft carrier-sized asteroid will begin at 9:30 a.m. local time (PDT) on Nov. 4, using the massive 70-meter (230-foot) Deep
Space Network antenna, and last for about two hours. The asteroid will continue to be tracked by Goldstone for at least four hours each day from
Nov. 6 through Nov. 10. Radar observations from the Arecibo Planetary Radar Facility in Puerto Rico will begin on Nov. 8, the same day the asteroid
will make its closest approach to Earth at 3:28 p.m. PST.
The trajectory of asteroid 2005 YU55 is well understood. At the point of closest approach, it will be no closer than 201,700 miles (324,600 kilometers)
or 0.85 the distance from the moon to Earth. The gravitational influence of the asteroid will have no detectable effect on anything here on Earth,
including our planet's tides or tectonic plates. Although 2005 YU55 is in an orbit that regularly brings it to the vicinity of Earth (and Venus and
Mars), the 2011 encounter with Earth is the closest this space rock has come for at least the last 200 years.
During tracking, scientists will use the Goldstone and Arecibo antennas to bounce radio waves off the space rock. Radar echoes returned from 2005 YU55
will be collected and analyzed. NASA scientists hope to obtain images of the asteroid from Goldstone as fine as about 7 feet (2 meters) per pixel.
This should reveal a wealth of detail about the asteroid's surface features, shape, dimensions and other physical properties (see "Radar Love"
- http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2006-00a ).
Arecibo radar observations of asteroid 2005 YU55 made in 2010 show it to be approximately spherical in shape. It is slowly spinning, with a rotation
period of about 18 hours. The asteroid's surface is darker than charcoal at optical wavelengths. Amateur astronomers who want to get a glimpse at YU55
will need a telescope with an aperture of 6 inches (15 centimeters) or larger.
The last time a space rock as big came as close to Earth was in 1976, although astronomers did not know about the flyby at the time. The next known
approach of an asteroid this large will be in 2028.
NASA detects, tracks and characterizes asteroids and comets passing close to Earth using both ground- and space-based telescopes. The Near-Earth
Object Observations Program, commonly called "Spaceguard," discovers these objects, characterizes a subset of them, and plots their orbits to determine
if any could be potentially hazardous to our planet.
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the Near-Earth Object Program Office for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. JPL is a division
of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
Ephemerides
Date UT R.A. (J2000) Decl. Delta r El. Ph. V Sky Motion Object Sun Moon
h "/min P.A. Azi. Alt. Alt. Phase Dist. Alt.
2011 11 08 00 15 39 27.4 -13 06 35 0.0081 0.983 12.3 167.6 26.2 41.42 077.1 007 -57 -57 0.93 137 +36
2011 11 08 01 15 42 19.6 -12 57 00 0.0077 0.983 13.0 166.9 25.6 44.66 077.2 031 -54 -51 0.93 137 +26
2011 11 08 02 15 45 25.1 -12 46 41 0.0074 0.984 13.7 166.2 25.1 48.13 077.1 050 -47 -42 0.93 137 +16
2011 11 08 03 15 48 44.8 -12 35 28 0.0071 0.984 14.5 165.4 24.5 51.87 076.9 065 -38 -32 0.93 136 +06
2011 11 08 04 15 52 19.7 -12 23 10 0.0068 0.984 15.4 164.5 23.9 55.98 076.7 077 -29 -21 0.94 136 -03
2011 11 08 05 15 56 11.5 -12 09 35 0.0065 0.985 16.3 163.6 23.3 60.58 076.3 088 -19 -11 0.94 135 -13
2011 11 08 06 16 00 22.3 -11 54 26 0.0061 0.985 17.3 162.6 22.8 65.83 075.9 098 -09 -01 0.94 135 -21
2011 11 08 07 16 04 54.6 -11 37 24 0.0058 0.985 18.4 161.5 22.2 71.90 075.4 107 +00 +08 0.94 134 -27
2011 11 08 08 16 09 51.9 -11 18 04 0.0055 0.986 19.6 160.3 21.6 79.04 074.9 117 +10 +16 0.94 133 -31
2011 11 08 09 16 15 18.7 -10 55 59 0.0052 0.986 21.0 158.9 21.1 87.53 074.3 128 +18 +22 0.95 133 -33
2011 11 08 10 16 21 20.6 -10 30 34 0.0049 0.986 22.5 157.4 20.5 97.70 073.8 140 +25 +26 0.95 132 -31
2011 11 08 11 16 28 04.5 -10 01 07 0.0046 0.987 24.2 155.7 19.9 109.96 073.2 154 +30 +28 0.95 130 -27
2011 11 08 12 16 35 39.1 -09 26 49 0.0043 0.987 26.1 153.8 19.3 124.81 072.7 169 +34 +26 0.95 129 -21
2011 11 08 13 16 44 15.0 -08 46 38 0.0040 0.987 28.3 151.6 18.7 142.81 072.3 184 +35 +21 0.95 127 -13
2011 11 08 14 16 54 04.9 -07 59 23 0.0038 0.988 30.8 149.1 18.0 164.63 071.9 199 +34 +15 0.95 125 -04
2011 11 08 15 17 05 24.3 -07 03 33 0.0035 0.988 33.7 146.2 17.4 191.00 071.5 213 +31 +07 0.96 123 +06
2011 11 08 16 17 18 31.4 -05 57 26 0.0033 0.988 37.1 142.8 16.7 222.68 071.2 226 +27 -03 0.96 120 +16
2011 11 08 17 17 33 46.9 -04 39 04 0.0030 0.988 41.1 138.8 16.0 260.30 070.9 237 +22 -13 0.96 116 +27
2011 11 08 18 17 51 33.3 -03 06 26 0.0028 0.989 45.8 134.1 15.3 304.03 070.7 247 +17 -23 0.96 112 +37
2011 11 08 19 18 12 13.1 -01 17 47 0.0026 0.989 51.2 128.7 14.5 353.15 070.6 256 +12 -33 0.96 107 +45
2011 11 08 20 18 36 04.3 +00 47 35 0.0024 0.989 57.5 122.4 13.9 405.21 070.8 264 +07 -43 0.96 101 +53
2011 11 08 21 19 03 13.6 +03 08 23 0.0023 0.990 64.6 115.3 13.2 455.37 071.1 271 +03 -52 0.97 095 +57
2011 11 08 22 19 33 27.9 +05 40 10 0.0022 0.990 72.5 107.3 12.6 496.42 071.8 279 +00 -58 0.97 087 +57
2011 11 08 23 20 06 06.8 +08 14 55 0.0022 0.990 81.0 98.9 12.1 520.33 072.9 285 -03 -61 0.97 079 +52
2011 11 09 00 20 40 01.7 +10 42 21 0.0022 0.991 89.7 90.2 11.8 521.61 074.4 292 -06 -58 0.97 071 +45
2011 11 09 01 21 13 47.8 +12 52 46 0.0022 0.991 98.2 81.7 11.5 500.18 076.2 298 -08 -51 0.97 063 +36
2011 11 09 02 21 46 02.9 +14 40 04 0.0023 0.991 106.2 73.7 11.3 461.41 078.1 305 -11 -42 0.97 055 +26
2011 11 09 03 22 15 46.2 +16 02 49 0.0025 0.992 113.4 66.4 11.2 413.20 080.1 312 -14 -32 0.97 048 +16
2011 11 09 04 22 42 25.2 +17 03 19 0.0026 0.992 119.8 60.0 11.1 362.73 082.0 319 -17 -21 0.97 042 +06
2011 11 09 05 23 05 52.8 +17 45 42 0.0029 0.992 125.4 54.4 11.1 314.79 083.7 328 -20 -11 0.98 037 -03
2011 11 09 06 23 26 18.4 +18 14 21 0.0031 0.993 130.3 49.6 11.2 271.73 085.1 338 -23 -01 0.98 033 -12
2011 11 09 07 23 44 00.1 +18 33 03 0.0033 0.993 134.5 45.4 11.2 234.30 086.4 349 -25 +08 0.98 029 -19
2011 11 09 08 23 59 18.6 +18 44 48 0.0036 0.993 138.0 41.8 11.3 202.33 087.4 000 -25 +16 0.98 026 -25
2011 11 09 09 00 12 34.2 +18 51 46 0.0038 0.994 141.1 38.7 11.3 175.21 088.3 013 -24 +22 0.98 023 -28
2011 11 09 10 00 24 04.8 +18 55 31 0.0041 0.994 143.8 36.0 11.4 152.23 089.1 025 -21 +26 0.98 021 -29
2011 11 09 11 00 34 06.2 +18 57 05 0.0044 0.994 146.2 33.7 11.5 132.72 089.7 036 -17 +27 0.98 019 -27
2011 11 09 12 00 42 51.4 +18 57 12 0.0047 0.994 148.2 31.7 11.6 116.08 090.2 047 -11 +26 0.98 017 -22
2011 11 09 13 00 50 31.5 +18 56 20 0.0050 0.995 150.0 29.9 11.7 101.86 090.7 057 -04 +21 0.98 016 -16
2011 11 09 14 00 57 15.7 +18 54 46 0.0052 0.995 151.5 28.3 11.7 89.65 091.2 067 +04 +15 0.99 015 -07
2011 11 09 15 01 03 11.9 +18 52 43 0.0055 0.995 152.9 27.0 11.8 79.17 091.6 076 +13 +06 0.99 014 +02
2011 11 09 16 01 08 26.9 +18 50 17 0.0058 0.996 154.1 25.8 11.9 70.16 092.1 086 +23 -03 0.99 013 +12
2011 11 09 17 01 13 06.3 +18 47 32 0.0061 0.996 155.2 24.7 12.0 62.43 092.7 096 +32 -13 0.99 012 +22
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NASA’s decommissioned Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite fell back to Earth between 11:23 p.m.
EDT Friday, Sept. 23 and 1:09 a.m. EDT Sept. 24. The Joint Space Operations Center at Vandenberg
Air Force Base in California said the satellite penetrated the atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean.
The precise re-entry time and location are not yet known with certainty.
Updated 24 Sept. 05.00h UT
Crash date 24 September at 05.46h UT.
Updated 23 Sept. 20.55h UT
Crash date 24 September at 05.33h UT.
Updated 23 Sept. 19.30h UT
Crash date 24 September at 05.12h UT.
Updated 23 Sept. 19.00h UT
Crash date 24 September at 04.09h UT.
Updated 23 Sept. 14.30h UT
Crash date 24 September at 03.24h UT.
Updated 23 Sept. 11.30h UT
Crash date 24 September at 02.35h UT.
Updated 23 Sept. 08.30h UT
Orbit 129 x 132 km, crash date 24 September at 04.00h UT.
Updated 23 Sept. 07h UT
Orbit 129 x 132 km, crash date 24 September at 00.30h UT.
The orbit of UARS was 120 mi by 130 mi (190 km by 205 km). Re-entry is expected sometime during the afternoon of Sept. 23,
Eastern Daylight Time. The satellite will not be passing over North America during that time period. It is still too early
to predict the time and location of re-entry with any more certainty, but predictions will become more refined in the
next 24 to 48 hours.
Update 2
Reentry on 24 September 2011 at 02.28 UTC.
Update 1
Reentry on 23 September 2011 at 13 UTC.
US satellite may crash back to Earth Sept 23
WASHINGTON A 20-year-old satellite that measured the ozone layer is expected to crash back to Earth late next week,
but NASA said it still does not know where it will fall. The US space agency stressed that the risk to public safety
from the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) is "extremely small," and said that most, but not all, of the gear
will burn up on re-entry into Earth's atmosphere. "Re-entry is expected Sept. 23, plus or minus a day. The re-entry
of UARS is advancing because of a sharp increase in solar activity since the beginning of this week," NASA said in a
brief update on its website on Friday. "Safety is NASA's top priority," it added, noting that throughout history,
there have been "no confirmed reports of an injury resulting from re-entering space objects."
The decommissioned satellite could land anywhere between 57 degrees north latitude and 57 degrees south latitude,
a vast swath of populated territory. Predictions will only get more precise as the landing approaches.
The UARS satellite was sent into orbit in 1991 by the space shuttle Discovery.
The 35 by 15 foot (three by 10 meter) spacecraft weighed 13,000 pounds (5,900 kilograms) and toted 10 scientific
instruments for measuring wind, temperature and ozone chemistry. It was officially decommissioned in 2005.
"Although the spacecraft will break into pieces during re-entry, not all of it will burn up in the atmosphere," NASA said.
"It is impossible to pinpoint just where in that zone the debris will land, but NASA estimates the debris footprint
will be about 500 miles (800 kilometers) long," the space agency said.
It also urged anyone who comes across what they believe may be space debris not to touch it, but to call
authorities for assistance.
Asteroid Earth crossing at only 12000 kms from us
A little asteroid, with diameter of only 13 meter, will pass on June 27 (13:26 TDT) at 0.000123 A.U. from the Earth,
12000 kilometers from us.
2011 MD Earth MOID = 0.0006 AU
Epoch 2011 Aug. 27.0 TT = JDT 2455800.5 MPC
M 51.54504 (2000.0) P Q
n 0.90091518 Peri. 6.12962 +0.15113548 +0.98754135
a 1.0617284 Node 272.56906 -0.90879587 +0.12137078
e 0.0431456 Incl. 2.51400 -0.38890632 +0.10015593
P 1.09 H 27.7
Data TT R. A. (2000) Decl. Delta r Elong. Fase V
2011 06 27.00 16 03 25.0 +27 29 10 0.001083 1.0171 119.3 60.7 15.1
2011 06 27.05 16 00 14.1 +26 26 25 0.001007 1.0171 119.6 60.3 14.9
2011 06 27.10 15 56 36.1 +25 13 00 0.000929 1.0170 120.1 59.9 14.7
2011 06 27.15 15 52 23.6 +23 45 38 0.000850 1.0170 120.5 59.4 14.5
2011 06 27.20 15 47 25.7 +21 59 27 0.000769 1.0170 121.1 58.9 14.3
2011 06 27.25 15 41 26.2 +19 46 54 0.000685 1.0169 121.7 58.3 14.0
2011 06 27.30 15 33 58.3 +16 55 28 0.000598 1.0169 122.4 57.6 13.7
2011 06 27.35 15 24 15.0 +13 02 42 0.000508 1.0169 123.2 56.8 13.3
2011 06 27.40 15 10 41.5 +07 23 40 0.000413 1.0168 123.9 56.1 12.9
2011 06 27.45 14 49 22.7 -01 47 17 0.000314 1.0168 124.0 56.0 12.3
2011 06 27.50 14 05 57.4 -19 38 26 0.000212 1.0167 120.5 59.5 11.5
2011 06 27.55 10 38 36.4 -57 13 48 0.000129 1.0166 96.5 83.5 11.2
2011 06 27.60 03 44 48.2 -21 01 03 0.000158 1.0165 58.9 121.1 13.7
2011 06 27.65 02 33 22.2 +08 40 08 0.000256 1.0165 56.9 123.0 14.9
2011 06 27.70 02 00 58.3 +21 30 35 0.000358 1.0164 60.3 119.7 15.3
2011 06 27.75 01 40 19.8 +28 33 29 0.000455 1.0164 63.1 116.8 15.6
2011 06 27.80 01 25 20.1 +33 03 02 0.000547 1.0164 65.3 114.7 15.9