humble3d Posted August 25, 2017 Share Posted August 25, 2017 NASA greets Earth-buzzing asteroid Florence in September 1, 2017 A large asteroid named Florence will thrill astronomers when it comes in for a September 1, 2017 flyby of Earth. Say hello to Florence. Florence is an asteroid. Florence is 2.7 miles (4.4 kilometers) across and will come within a celestial spitting distance of Earth on Sept. 1, 2017 when it closes to within around 4.4 million miles (7 million kilometers) of our fair planet. What makes Florence so interesting is the size of the asteroid combined with its visit to our neighborhood in space. NASA shared a GIF on Thursday showing the asteroid's travel route. More asteroids Earth-buzzing asteroid spotted ahead of its October arrival Here's how NASA plans to deflect an asteroid "Florence is the largest asteroid to pass by our planet this close since the NASA program to detect and track near-Earth asteroids began," says NASA's Paul Chodas, manager of the Center for Near-Earth Object Studies. A Near-Earth Object (NEO) is a comet or asteroid with an orbital path that brings it close to our planet. NASA plans to take advantage of the asteroid's close approach to capture radar images and learn more about Florence's surface features. The name "Florence" is a tribute to Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing. Astronomers first spotted the asteroid in 1981. The asteroid won't get this close to Earth again until after 2500. Amateur astronomers can also get in on the fun. The asteroid should be visible to small telescopes starting in late August. NASA greets Florence, an Earth-buzzing asteroid arriving soon NASA greets Florence, an Earth-buzzing asteroid arriving soon A large asteroid named Florence will thrill astronomers when it comes in for a September flyby of Earth. https://www.cnet.com/news/nasa-asteroid-florence-near-earth-september/ http://www.ibtimes.com/florence-asteroid-earth-avoid-collision-september-1-close-call-2580193 http://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/asteroid-1981-et3-3122-florence-pass-earth-2017-binoculars Large asteroid to safely pass earth on September 1 Large asteroid to safely pass earth on September 1 Asteroid Florence, a large near-Earth asteroid, will pass safely by Earth on Sept. 1, 2017, at a distance of abo... https://phys.org/news/2017-08-large-asteroid-safely-earth-september.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.