14 Facts About Asteroid 2012 DA14

W-News | 14 Facts About Asteroid 2012 DA14 | The asteroid named 2012 DA14 expected to traverse the Earth to the nearest point in mid-February 2013. As to whether the asteroid 2012 DA14 it?

An asteroid measuring about 45 meters DA14 named in 2012, is expected to pass very close to Earth on February 15, 2013 and can be seen by the observer space in Indonesia on Saturday morning, February 16, 2013.

Here are 14 facts about the asteroid 2012 DA14 as quoted from the official website of the United States space agency NASA:

1. Asteroid 2012 DA14 is a near-Earth object with a diameter of about 45 meters and a period of about 130,000 metric tons.

2. Asteroid 2012 DA14 discovered by La Sagra Sky Survey operated by the Astronomical Observatory of Mallorca in Spain on February 23, 2012. Distance asteroid was about 4.3 million kilometers when detected.

4. Crossing asteroid 2012 DA14 2013 to now are crossing asteroid that is closest to the Earth in decades. Crossing asteroids close to Earth again will take place on February 16, 2046, when the asteroid passed no closer than a million kilometers from Earth's center.

5. Asteroid 2012 DA 14 traveling at speeds of about 28 100 kilometers per hour and will reach its closest point to Earth on February 15, 2013 or February 16, 2013 at around 2:26 pm.

6. As it approached the Earth, the asteroid will pass over the eastern Indian Ocean, after the Sumatra, close to the position of -6 degrees south latitude and 97.5 degrees east longitude.

7. Asteroid 2012 DA14 will only reach a distance of 27 700 kilometers above the Earth's surface on February 15, 2013. This distance is outside the Earth's atmosphere, but in the satellite orbit in a belt, which was about 35,800 kilometers above the Earth's surface. Distance to nearest asteroid's trajectory was only 1/10 of the distance between the Earth and the moon.

8. When crossing the Earth, asteroid 2012 DA14 would be too faint to be seen with the naked eye. The asteroid can be seen using binoculars or a telescope. The asteroid will be visible from some parts of Europe, Africa and Asia, it also depends on local weather conditions. The asteroid will appear to move relatively quickly across the sky from south to north.

9. Asteroid 2012 DA14 will be in the Earth system / month for 33 hours.

10. DA14 crossing asteroid would not affect Earth. Because he had no chance of orbital collision with another asteroid Bumi.Tapi if there DA14 size of 2012, the asteroid could spend about $ 2.5 megatons of energy into the atmosphere and cause damage.

Such conditions occurred in 1908 in Tuguska, Siberia, when an asteroid measuring about 30-40 meters pants leveled 1200 square kilometers of forest around Tunguska River Podkamennaya is now Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia.

11. Because the track, there will be no chance of asteroid 2012 DA14 through Earth's shadow.

12. Opportunities Asteroid 2012 DA14 will affect satellites or spacecraft approaching asteroid is very small because of the Earth, passing between the outer satellite constellation in geosynchronous orbit (35,800 miles) and the concentration of the satellite is much closer to Earth. Almost no satellites orbiting the line that will pass through the asteroid.

13. Scientists believe there are about 500,000 asteroids near Earth asteroid similar in size to 2012 DA14 and of that number, less than one percent that has been found.

14. Scientists in the Near-Earth Object Program Office at NASA's Pasadena, California, estimates that asteroids the size of 2012 DA14 pass this close on average every 40 years, and such crossings could affect Earth, but only once every 1,200 years.

Meanwhile, Deputy Science, Assessment, and Aerospace Information National Aeronautics and Space Agency (Lapan), Prof. Dr. Thomas Djamaluddin said that observers in Indonesia space it can detect asteroids using telescopes when the weather is nice on Saturday morning February 16, 2013 at around 2:26 pm.

When later observed on February 16, 2013, according to Thomas, astreoid 2012 DA14 will look like dim stars that pass relatively quickly from the sky toward the Northeast Southwest from Earth.

Crossing asteroids will not have any impact on the Earth, nor will it interfere with satellites in Earth orbit. But 97 years from now, or rather February 16, 2110 the asteroid is expected to hit the Earth, said Thomas.