The 110 - 240 metre wide asteroid 2005 YU55 will make a close pass (0.8 lunar distances, 0.0022 AU), travelling at 13.72 km/second, to the Earth-Moon system on the 8th November, 2011 @ 23:28 UT ±00:01.
An asteroid the size of an aircraft carrier is set to pass in between Earth and the moon. The space rock, if it stays on course, is set to pass a mere 201,700 miles from the big blue.
Nov 8 RA 20:15:42.3 Dec +13:03:55 Delphinus, mag 11.7 Nov 9 RA 1:38:20.2 Dec +19:15:44 Pisces, mag 12.4 Nov 10 RA 2:06:48.2 Dec +17:59:30 Aries, mag 13.7
Spacecraft Earth to Perform Asteroid 'Flyby' This Autumn
Since the dawn of the space age, humanity has sent 16 robotic emissaries to fly by some of the solar system's most intriguing and nomadic occupants -- comets and asteroids. The data and imagery collected on these deep-space missions of exploration have helped redefine our understanding of how Earth and our part of the galaxy came to be. But this autumn, Mother Nature is giving scientists around the world a close-up view of one of her good-sized space rocks -- no rocket required. Read more
Mark your calendars for November 8th, because that's when a massive asteroid will sweep past the Earth. The asteroid called 2005 YU55 has a diameter of 1,300 feet and will approach the planet at 0.85 lunar distances. Due the object's size and whisking by so close to Earth, an extensive campaign of radar, visual and infrared observations is being planned. Read more
Near-Earth asteroid 2005 YU55 will pass within 0.85 lunar distances from the Earth on November 8, 2011. The upcoming close approach by this relatively large 400 meter-sized, C-type asteroid presents an excellent opportunity for synergistic ground-based observations including optical, near infrared and radar data. Read more
Minimum distance: 0.002173 AU Date: 21:36 UT, 8th November 2011 Maximum brightness: 11.1 V. Date of maximum brightness: 04:00: UT, 9th November 2011 Maximum velocity: 515.45"/min Date of the maximum angular velocity: 00:00: UT, 9th November 2011 Absolutely magnitude: 21.9
The 400 metre wide asteroid 2005 YU55 will make a close pass (0.8 lunar distances, 0.00217 AU), travelling at 13.72 km/second, to the Earth-Moon system at 23:29 UT, 8th November, 2011.