Computer animation of the asteroid coming past earth + the meteor in Russia

[likethebeer]

This is the asteroid that will come by, just over 17,000 miles from earth:
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/video/asteroid-2012-da14-passes-earth-18491867

Here's a non-hysterical article on ABC news regarding asteroid DA14:
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/asteroid-buzz-earth-miss-17150-miles-18509692

OH: and while we're cool on that, a meteorite has just hit in Russia. Here's some video footage from that:
http://rt.com/news/meteorite-crash-urals-chelyabinsk-283/

Hopefully, some of the astronomy folks I know will help explain if this is related to the asteroid.

Later: It is NOT!
http://www.space.com/19806-russia-meteor-explosion-asteroid-flyby.html
The astronomy folks sent out this link very quickly this morning.

And here's the Bad Astronomer on Slate writing about it this morning & afternoon:
http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronomy/2013/02/15/russian_meteorite_fragment_may_have_fallen_in_frozen_lake.html

He estimates it was a few meters in diameter.<--WRONG. Due to the information from Planetary.org below. Estimates are "15 meters in diameter and had a mass of ~7000 tonnes." [or about 8 tons, according to Star Talk.]
http://www.planetary.org/blogs/guest-blogs/2013/20130215-what-we-know-about-the-russian-meteor.html

Definitions of "Near Earth Object" terminology (meteor, meteoride, meteorite, etc.):
http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/15/was-that-fireball-a-meteor-or-a-meteorite/

Why didn't we know the meteor was coming?
http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/technology/2013/02/russian_meteor_why_didn_t_we_know_it_was_coming.html
In short: it was too small. We could detect the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs (and 90% of life on earth) because that was 6 miles wide. Not something 2 trucks long.

February 16:
From CNN: a story about the meteor in Russia, followed by another, really good, story from someone at CNN explaining the trajectory of 2012 DA 14, w/some cool graphics:
http://www.cnn.com/video/?hpt=hp_t1#/video/world/2013/02/15/tsr-dnt-myers-russia-meteor.cnn
The nice thing about this (for me) is that there was such hubbub yesterday about the Russian meteor, and "no, it's not 2012 DA 14" that it (for the moment) has allowed me to remember the name of that asteroid.

My friend, John (space geek with a couple of telescopes) sent these pieces of information that he picked up on the Russian meteor from reading things yesterday:

15 meters/50 feet in diameter (I think the 2010 Mifflin meteorite was estimated at 1 meter)

weight of 7000 tons (Mifflin was estimated at 1 ton)

explosion estimated at 300 kilotons (I think that's 20 Hirsohimas)

velocity of 40,000 mph (That's faster than anything we've ever sent out into space. New Horizons is headed toward Pluto at 36,000 mph)

airburst was 10-15 miles above Chelyabinsky and was brighter than the Sun

It was the most powerful meteor since Tunguska in 1908.

We can expect this type of meteor about once a century.

The "2010 Mifflin Meteorite" that John referred to was in Wisconsin. I was at my old home w/mda (natch) and there was this bright light that looked like someone was driving toward the house with their brights on, which then passed. We went outside and heard this sound like thunder, which mda identified as the sound of the meteor breaking the sound barrier. Here's information on that meteor from the Meteoritical Society (the "International Society for Meteoritics and Planetary Science"):
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meteor/index.php?code=52090

Imagine if this happened 30 years ago. The leader of the U.S.S.R. would have called the President of the U.S. to say, "just to let you know - that wasn't a test of a nuclear bomb." The President would sound happily pleased to get the news (even though he probably would know that based on spy satellites), & ask the leader if they needed anything.

PLUS: What's totally awesome is that "a meteor event like this will come along about once a century" and Tunguska happened, gee, just over a century ago. The scientists are spot on!!

Monday, the 18th:
Here's the Bad Astronomer talking about the coincidence of 2012 DA 14 + the Russian asteroid & how this is not evidence that the sky is falling:
http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronomy/2013/02/18/asteroids_and_meteors_why_are_we_suddenly_seeing_so_many.html

Comments

[sirreal13.livejournal.com]

Nice links. That was an amazing coincidence that a major meteor shower hits during an asteroid approach!

amazing coincidence

[likethebeer.livejournal.com]

Almost *stellar*!

I think I'll need more sleep & less caffeine in order to not feel bad for the incoming asteroid, since this meteor might steal a little of its "thunder" (as noted by the thunder sound of the sonic boom as it went over).



yeah - more sleep. I woke up before dawn this morning. HEY! Maybe I woke up when the meteorite came in!! I have stellar powers!!

.... yeah - more sleep is definitely needed.

[immemor.livejournal.com]

That was worth sitting through the commercial about Charmin Ultra Strong. Wow, between the satellites and the earth. That boggles my mind.

Wait… they just said you should never get your physics from the movies. [pouts, takes off red “cape” and puts it back on the towel rack.]

oh good

[likethebeer.livejournal.com]

Physics in movies probably explains how "capes + jumping out of windows" come about. Although, seriously: if there's a huge asteroid headed this way - I don't care what kind of sciencey person you are who's head is stuck in a book - you're gonna think of Armageddon.

Hopefully the science geeks will at least take the clue from that movie & never pay their taxes again (it's up to them to try to get girlfriends with the Liv Taylor aura).

Re: oh good

[immemor.livejournal.com]

I may be the only person on Earth who didn’t like Armageddon. If an asteroid is going to squish me, I’m going out thinking about The Empire Strikes Back.

The Liv Tyler aura… you mean girlfriends with pouty lips who manipulate the men in their lives into making unreasonable promises? “Promise me you’ll save the Earth. Oh, and promise me no one will ever die, like, ever.”

Re: oh good

[likethebeer.livejournal.com]

Armeggedon was a movie actually helped by watching on t.v. - it was so intense that the commercial breaks helped.

Re: oh good

[immemor.livejournal.com]

I just realized, Liv was an updated version of Dale from Flash Gordon.

http://immemor.livejournal.com/200332.html#comments

Re: oh good

[likethebeer.livejournal.com]

It's the lips and the luminescent skin I think, because I've tried fainting all the time, and it doesn't seem to go over as well in real life.

Re: oh good

[immemor.livejournal.com]

Don’t faint at work, I hear your man Frank liked sharp corners. Now, if you get a second job at a mattress warehouse, you’re good to go. Faint away.

Re: oh good

[likethebeer.livejournal.com]

Lots of sharp corners + some things that are worth more than what I make in a decade. I'll sit down in that case.