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SKY WATCHERS TAKE note: An asteroid is going to shoot across the sky on 5 March — and it may come close enough that you can actually see it with a telescope.
Before you panic: no, it’s not going to hit us — though it’s going to come tantalisingly close.
The rock in question is asteroid 2013 TX68, which swooped by Earth at a safe 1.3 million miles away two years ago. It is now slated to fly by our planet again in a few weeks as it’s been locked in an orbit around the sun — though this time it may come much, much closer to Earth.
How close? That’s hard to say, given that we’ve only had a limited time to track this rocky space object since we discovered it back in October 2013.
And while Nasa isn’t quite sure of the rock’s trajectory — it could swing as close as 11,000 miles (17,700km) from Earth or as far as nine million miles (14.5 million km) away — they say ”there is no possibility” that it will impact Earth this time around.
That’s great, for now.
Asteroid 2013 TX68 — which measures about 100 feet in diameter, the size of an airplane — is slated to pay us another visit on 28 September 2017. At that time, Nasa predicts, there is in fact a chance it could hit us.
Though the chance is small — about one in 250 million — the same odds of being killed by a falling coconut.
Here is a graphical representation of the potential paths asteroid 2013 TX68 could take at the time of its closest approach on 5 March. At its furthest, it could speed by at a distant nine million miles away, which you can see on the left of the graphic. This would be too far away to see with a telescope.
But if it does come within 11,000 miles of Earth, as sketched out on the right side of the graphic, avid skywatchers just may be able to check out this speedy piece of space debris.
Asteroid fly-bys happen all the time. If you’re curious about the stats on all of them, check out Nasa’s Near Earth Object Programme page here.
- Julia Calderone, Tech Insider
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A star in the making. Good on you Sarah
Well done
Just persevere. Do your best and be proud!
Great run from Andrew Coscoran also
6th in the 3000m
there’s no medal for sixth
@qffaffaf affrafrfraf: You know your stuff.
@john kenny: do you wear a little pair of panties?
@qffaffaf affrafrfraf: you got gold, for being the best clown
Hope she’s not reading this, she done her best today was not her day, she was placed and proud.
@Phillip Smyth: I doubt she gives a s*** what the bitter little reprobates have to say.
She did herself and her country proud which is more than these saddos will ever achieve.
@Fergus O’Donnell: dead right Fergus do know if she receiving
@Phillip Smyth: do you know if she’s receiving plaudits for her finishing she seems to be getting raw deals this is not right
@Phillip Smyth: She finished sixth of 12 in a world final. First European home. Exactly as anyone who knows the sport would have predicted.
can’t comment on genocide in gaza, Israel’s a disgrace
@Joe Doyle: release the Hamas held hostages and remove the reason for Israel being in Gaza
@Joe Doyle: The excellent UK radio station LBC constantly covers almost daily what’s happening in the Middle East and allows its listeners to voice their opinions on the matter unlike here in Ireland, public debate on anything is blatantly and deliberately ignored by our media, free speech in the Irish version of democracy I’m afraid is non existent, our last general election is a perfect example of that where the general public were completely ignored by our pathetic media both radio and Television and not facilitated in any debate whatsoever to voice their opinions.
@James Gorman: Hamas was created by Israel and no one else, ever hear of the expression James “Divide And Conquer”?, now do yourself a favour and investigate how Hamas was created and financed but first take off the blinkers, perhaps you may also check out “The Bibi Files Documentary” that has exposed the horrible individual and his family that are in power in Israel, It will also give an insight into some of the extreme far fight racists in Netanyahu’s government.
Sixth lol
@Mr. Biggins: u couldn’t run a bath
@Mr. Biggins: Imagine how meaningless your life must be to spend your time on here trolling. What a los*r.
It’s a pity that she didn’t have the kick on power in the final three laps. It’s a learning curve and she did Ireland proud.
Sarah is tough as nails
have your say