27-megaton Asteroid Apophis to fly by Earth tonight

Not that you'll be able to see it as it goes by, but there's a massive asteroid flying past the Earth tonight, named 99942 Apophis.

ca.news.yahoo.com...

One in 229,000 chance of hitting, but even larger chance in 2029.

Why do they only tell us a few hours before? LOL. Attention spam of the reader, I presume.

Originally posted by CALGARIAN

Not that you'll be able to see it as it goes by, but there's a massive asteroid flying past the Earth tonight, named 99942 Apophis.

ca.news.yahoo.com...

One in 229,000 chance of hitting, but even larger chance in 2029.

Why do they only tell us a few hours before? LOL. Attention spam of the reader, I presume.

Huh? There's no chance of it hitting us in 2029. That possibility was ruled out a long time ago. They probably only just now mentioned it because you would have to be pretty seriously into astrophotography to see it on this encounter. Most people won't be able to. I would webcast it myself tonight from my scope but I'm feeling pretty under the weather today.

Where can we find out what time it passes by/where to look over the East coast of Australia?
I had a look around and couldn't find any information!

reply to post by CALGARIAN


They only tell us a few hours before?

Predicting Apophis' Earth Encounters in 2029 and 2036 - from 2007.

With Apophis probably too close to the Sun to be measured by optical telescopes until 2011, and too distant for useful radar measurement until 2013, the underlying physics of Apophis' motion were considered to better understand the hazard.

Using criteria developed in this research, new measurements possible in 2013 (if not 2011) will likely confirm that in 2036 Apophis will quietly pass more than 49 million km (30.5 million miles; 0.32 AU) from Earth on Easter Sunday of that year (April 13).

How Close is Apophis? - from 2009.

On December 28, 2012, Apophis enters our neck of the woods. Its closest approach will be .097 A.U. on January 9, 2013. It will leave our neck of the woods on January 18, 2013.

You just weren't paying attention.

I find it interesting that they describe it's size as 27 megatons. For the most part megatons are only used to measure the TNT equivalent of a very large nuclear yield detonation.

Associating it with this type of measurement is surely just an attention grabbing attempt, causing the reader to think of Nukes.

Understandable why they do it, but I still find it amusing.

Indeed Have you seen this?

This changes astronomer's calculations of the Yarkovsky effect, or how the Sun's heating and cooling influence will alter the asteroid's progress in orbit.

Apophis Size Miscalculated, Orbital Change Possible?...
www.theregister.co.uk...

I have nothing really to add - I just wanted an excuse to post a NdT video

Originally posted by CALGARIAN

Not that you'll be able to see it as it goes by, but there's a massive asteroid flying past the Earth tonight, named 99942 Apophis.

ca.news.yahoo.com...

One in 229,000 chance of hitting, but even larger chance in 2029.

Why do they only tell us a few hours before? LOL. Attention spam of the reader, I presume.

This has been news for a very long time...and that it would not hit us. They should be able to do some very precise measurements when it passes to determine if a 2029 or future strike is possible. It would be interesting if it was and what we would do about it given 16 years. It is not an extinction level rock but would cause some serious damage if it hit a populated area.

I predict the astroid will impact between Africa and Siberia in 2036.
You know why?

Boyd Bushman former Senior research scientist from lockheed martin.

Below is an interesting video, and in his desk there is a comet named apophis they are constantly tracking.
He tells in the interview its gonna impact. Really scary stuff, so that's why people are building bunkers.

In his words it wel be many many megatons depending on the velocity.
Move to about 17 minutes

I can't seem to embed YT; so here's direct url.
Interview

They usually only give short notice to those who are into looking at asteroids or comets. To those of us who don't look up, its of no concern. It's for astronomers, who probably know about it anyways.

reply to post by samuel1990


Try this link it's counting down
virtualtelescope

1 hour 50 minutes from now I think.

And thanks OP for the heads up on it.

Another link to watch it Here

I about 40 minutes it will be on events.slooh.com... So lets watch and see???

I am in no way an expert but I have read some info on Apophis and I do not remember seeing anything saying it would be close to Earth in 2013?? Maybe I missed that part, all the info I have read is for 2029 and 2036.

I must of just missed the part that told us it would fly us in 2013...very odd.


-edit- going to read more now, since this 2013 fly by is news to me.

reply to post by CALGARIAN


Honestly if it did hit...

Meh.

reply to post by mcx1942


This fly-by wasn't as publicized due there being no risk of impact. Unfortunately, it was the close-approaches in 2029 and 2036 that momentarily had a mildly significant risk of impact back when Apophis was first discovered that got the media's attention.

Not long after the initial risk assessment, an impact was entirely ruled out for 2029 and all but ruled out for 2036 (pending the data gained from this fly-by). It's just too bad that the media still likes to focus on the initial impact risk rather than the fact that that risk has since gone away. "Asteroid that has virtually no chance of impact in 2013, 2029, or 2036" is hardly a worthy headline.

For this close approach, the asteroid will be pretty far away and only apparent magnitude 16, which is fainter than Pluto and requires a good telescope.

The real deal will be in 2029, when this asteroid makes a _real_ close approach (within the geostationary orbit, if I'm not mistaken) and will be clearly visible to the naked eye.

Tonight's close approach is important because it sets the asteroid's precise trajectory for the close approach in 2029.

Yeah, I was going to say, well I didn't see it. But then, I read the rest of your post.

Wouldn't one be able to see it through a telescope though?

What about that one website that always posts the asteroids and you have to pay to view their telescope with a membership?

Too bad we can't see it.

Originally posted by Manhater
Wouldn't one be able to see it through a telescope though?

Magnitude 16 would require a very large telescope to directly see in the telescope by eye. You generally need to do long exposure astrophotography, which means you need a good setup, CCD camera, all of it.

What about that one website that always posts the asteroids and you have to pay to view their telescope with a membership?

There are a few that do that (Slooh, itelescope.net, etc), they're using long exposure astrophotography (or astrovideography in some cases, also long exposures through the telescopes though).

reply to post by Connman


Your link? 21st january next live viewing?