View Single Post
  #1  
Old August 23rd 04, 06:34 PM
Jim Oberg
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Small asteroid misses Earth by only four thousand miles


Small asteroid misses Earth by only four thousand miles


http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99996307


Jim Oberg asks -- were there any other possibile sensors
thatr might have detected (but not identified) this bogie?
Visual? Radar? IR?


Asteroid shaves past Earth's atmosphere

13:59 23 August 04

NewScientist.com news service

The closest observed asteroid yet to skim past the Earth without hitting the
atmosphere, was reported by astronomers on Sunday.

The previously unknown object, spanning five to 10 metres across, has been
named 2004 FU162. It streaked across the sky just 6500 kilometres - roughly
the radius of the Earth - above the ground on 31 March, although details
have only now emerged.