Close, but not that close: Asteroid passed by Earth on May 31, 2013

Asteroid 1998 QE2 made its closest pass to Earth yesterday on May 31. The BBC reports that it measured nearly 2.7 kilometres (1.7 miles) across and is so large that it is orbited by its own moon. It passed by Earth at 20:50 GMT, but it was not dangerously close. There was never any likelihood that it would hit Earth. It was 5.8 million kilometres (3.6 million miles) away.

However, coming so close to Earth gave scientists the chance to observe it. Using radar telescopes (it was not visible to the naked eye), scientists recorded a series of high-resolution images. It appears to a relatively dark asteroid, said Professor Alan Fitzsimmons, astronomer at Queen’s University, Belfast, Ireland. The small moon that is orbiting the asteroid is about 600 metres (2,000 feet) across (in diameter). It is not unusual for an asteroid to have a moon (known as a “binary” system) – about 15% of asteroids have a moon. Astronomers have already seen more than 9,000 near-Earth asteroids, and they see about 800 new space rocks on average each year.

Friday’s fly-by will be the asteroid 1998 QE2’s closest approach for at least 200 years.

Comet ISON is also being tracked by astronomers. At the moment, the comet is near the planet Jupiter. By October 2013, the comet will be passing by the planet Mars. It will be very close to Mars’ Moons on October 5. On November 3, 2013, Comet ISON will be passing Earth (but not near it) before heading toward Venus about a week later. Near November 28, the comet will go around the Sun.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-22736709

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