September 8, 2010
Two asteroids are expected to pass within 154,000 miles of the earth today, NASA says, as they pass between planet earth and the moon. Scientists and children alike will delight in the fact that the asteroids should be visible with medium-size amateur telescopes. Astronomers at the Catalina Sky Survey near Tucson, Arizona noticed the masses.
The larger of the two, asteroid 2010 RX30, will fly by at about 5:51 a.m. EDT, and will be about 33 to 65 feet wide. The second, 2010 RF12, is estimated to be 20 to 46 feet wide. Space.com estimates it will pass within 49,000 miles (79,000 km) a few hours later at 5:12 pm EDT.
See a rockin’ September Sky Guide by Space.com and don’t miss this supernova story for more about the mysterious masses.
Posted: September 8th, 2010 under Health & Science.
Tags: asteroids, earth, Health & Science, planets