An Asteroid Will Pass Very Close to Earth Tomorrow

[YosemiteSam]

A small asteroid will fly past Earth early Tuesday within the Earth-moon system. The asteroid, 2010 TD54, will have its closest approach to Earth’s surface at an altitude of about 45,000 kilometers (27,960 miles) at 6:50 EDT a.m. (3:50 a.m. PDT). At that time, the asteroid will be over southeastern Asia in the vicinity of Singapore.

During its flyby, Asteroid 2010 TD54 has zero probability of impacting Earth. A telescope of the NASA-sponsored Catalina Sky Survey north of Tucson, Arizona discovered 2010 TD54 on Oct. 9 at (12:55 a.m. PDT) during routine monitoring of the skies.

2010 TD54 is estimated to be about 5 to 10 meters (16 to 33 feet) wide. Due to its small size, the asteroid would require a telescope of moderate size to be viewed. A five-meter-sized near-Earth asteroid from the undiscovered population of about 30 million would be expected to pass daily within a lunar distance, and one might strike Earth’s atmosphere about every 2 years on average. If an asteroid of the size of 2010 TD54 were to enter Earth’s atmosphere, it would be expected to burn up high in the atmosphere and cause no damage to Earth’s surface.

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[HoleInTheRoof]

Can it play free safety?

 

[DallasCowpoke]

Dear Space Santa,
Where do asteroids come from? My friend Curdy Waltersdorf says Uranus, but I think he's just cracking wise? Get back to me.

Your friend,
DallasCowpoke

 

[MonsterD]

What kinda heads up do we get for the 1 mile asteroid colliding with Earth??

I hope it is enough for me to make an underground survival bunker.

 

[joseephuss]

What kinda heads up do we get for the 1 mile asteroid colliding with Earth??

I hope it is enough for me to make an underground survival bunker.

They know a 320 m wide asteroid will come within 30,000 km of Earth on April(Friday) 13, 2029. It will then go around the Sun and come back around 2035. Scientists have no idea how close it will come to Earth on its return trip. They can't accurately predict the effects of both Earth's gravity and the Sun's gravity will have on it. It is not a mile wide, but I think you have time to build a bunker before this one comes by.

 

[TheCowboy]

Can you convert that post to English please?