Showing posts with label Astronomical Unit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Astronomical Unit. Show all posts

Monday, January 23, 2012

NEA 2012 BW13 Passes January 26, 2012

Although near-earth-asteroid 2012 BV1 passed 0.8 lunar distances on January 20, 2012, it did not strike earth and present any apocalypse as there had to be some who were concerned. But on January 26, 2012 near-earth-asteroid 2012 BW13 will pass 1.73 LD (lunar distances) from our planet traveling 11.92 km/second, at magnitude 27.133; it being 16 km wide, and the entire event will take place at 06:02 UT (1/26/12). Interestingly, it will approach the moon closest at 2.55 LD at 09:33 UT the same day.


Spaceweather.com consults us about the LD, or lunar distance: "LD means "Lunar Distance." 1 LD = 384,401 km, the distance between Earth and the Moon. 1 LD also equals 0.00256 AU." 

Although astronomers will find new ones every day (the chart being subject to change after January 23, 2012), here is what NEAs we experienced this January. 

Asteroid
Date (UT)
Miss Distance
Mag.
Size
2012 BZ13
Jan 18
9.1 LD
--
29 m
2012 BL14
Jan 20
1.2 LD
--
10 m
2012 BV1
Jan 20
0.8 LD
--
3 m
2012 BS1
Jan 23
3.1 LD
--
10 m
2012 BY1
Jan 24
2 LD
--
31 m
1991 VK
Jan 25
25.3 LD
--
1.9 km
2012 BW13
Jan 26
1.7 LD
--
16 m
2012 BD14
Jan 30
5.8 LD
--
19 m
433 Eros
Jan 31
69.5 LD
--
8.5 km

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Viewing Asteroid 433 Eros in Early 2012

Not only is this asteroid perfectly appearing for viewing in the early months of 2012, it has significant historical history that changed the world of modern astronomy. On August 13, 1889, Carl Witt discovered the first NEA (near earth asteroid) in the history of the world, and in that discovery, the astronomical unit was born. It wasn't actually 'invented' then, but did help in determining the exactness of it. Therefore, this asteroid, the second-largest NEA, after 1036 Ganymed, has a unique history (for asteroids in general), and will be visible January-February 2012!


NEAR-Shoemaker NASA craft image of 433 Eros

On January 31, 2012, this asteroid will pass 0.17867 AU (26,729,000 km; 16,608,000 mi) from the sun, being at aphelion; this asteroid is not, although, at the closest it can get to the sun. It will travel through Leo, Sextans, and Hydra over this two-month period, brightening from 9.2 mag and goes to 8.6 mag on the 25 of January. It fades again in early February. [Sky&Telescope observing PDF]

TransitOfVenus.com
Sky&Telescope
What about the internet hoaxes have also been released: 433 Eros is going to end the world this January! This cannot be true, for "It's ... highly unlikely that it will have any impact on Earth, indirectly or directly," Articlebase.com writes. But how can we presume this? Well, look at the statistics of this asteroid. 433 Eros will pass approximately 16 million miles from earth, or about 70 lunar distances (the distance from the moon to the earth). Therefore, 433 Eros cannot really hit earth at all: it's just a hoax otherwise.

Join in the Eros fun! Submit your images to transitofvenus.com. Which reminds us...Transit of Venus 2012 is in June!

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Earth Reaches Aphelion July Fourth

Despite the fact that it's Independence day for us here in America, earth will be at aphelion today. What aphelion? Clearly stated, the earth will be the farthest it can be from the Sun, or 1.017 Astronomical Units away. Perihelion is the exact opposite, of which we will be in six months, three million miles closer to the Sun than we are now.


An Astronomical Unit (AU - for those who are wondering) is the distance, used as a measurement, of earth and the Sun: 93 million miles (approximately). Looking for earth’s exact distance today? It’s at 94,511,923 miles. Last year, on July 6, 2010, the Earth at aphelion was closer, at 94,508,351 miles away. On earth's scales, though, that's about 3500 miles difference, 3572, to be exact.

So, as we are waiting for perihelion, here are the names of some bodies that are called at either aphelion or perihelion; some look as if a toddler thought of them!

Body Closest approach Farthest approach
General Periapsis/Pericentre Apoapsis
Galaxy Perigalacticon Apogalacticon
Star Periastron Apastron
Black hole Perimelasma/Peribothra/Perinigricon Apomelasma/Apobothra/Aponigricon
Sun Perihelion Aphelion
Mercury Perihermion Apohermion
Venus Pericytherion/Pericytherean/Perikrition Apocytherion/Apocytherean/Apokrition
Earth Perigee Apogee
Moon Periselene/Pericynthion/Perilune Aposelene/Apocynthion/Apolune
Mars Periareion Apoareion
Jupiter Perizene/Perijove Apozene/Apojove
Saturn Perikrone/Perisaturnium Apokrone/Aposaturnium
Uranus Periuranion Apouranion
Neptune Periposeidion Apoposeidion
Pluto Perihadion Apohadion