A
small asteroid just discovered last Sunday night (August 31), will pass
extremely close to Earth this Sunday, September 7, 2014. At the time of closest
approach – based on current calculations to be about 2:18 p.m. EDT (11:18 a.m.
PDT / 18:18 UTC) – will be approximately one-tenth the distance from the center
of Earth to the moon, or about
25,000 miles (40,000 kilometers). That’s about the same distance as geosynchronous weather
and communication satellites, which orbit at about 22,000 miles (36,000
kilometers).
Asteroid
2014 RC will be roughly over New Zealand when it’s closest. From its reflected
brightness, astronomers estimate that the asteroid is about 60 feet (20 meters)
in size.
At
the time of closest approach, asteroid 2014 RC will have an apparent magnitude
(brightness) of about 11.5, rendering it unobservable to the unaided eye.
However, amateur astronomers with small telescopes might glimpse the
fast-moving appearance of this near-Earth asteroid.
The
asteroid will pass below Earth and the geosynchronous ring of communications
and weather satellites. This asteroid does not appear to pose any threat to
Earth or satellites.
2014 RC’s orbit will
bring it back to our planet’s neighborhood in the future. The asteroid’s future
motion will be closely monitored
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