Discussion: Toutatis Sneaks Past the Earth on ...

[Fraser]

SUMMARY: Asteroid Toutatis, a frequent visitor in our neighborhood, will pass as close as 1.5 million km (960,000) miles to the Earth on Wednesday. As spacerocks go, Toutatis is pretty big; it's 5 km (3.1 miles) long and weighs 2.5 million kg (5.5 million pounds) - an asteroid this size was thought to have wiped out the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. Although there are plenty of doomsayers predicting the Earth's demise, Toutatis will keep its distance, passing four times as far as the Moon. The spacerock isn't visible without a telescope, and its position depends where on Earth you're looking at it. This makes it a very challenging object for amateur astronomers to spot.

What do you think about this story? Post your comments below.

[antoniseb]

I don't know if observing time is scheduled, but, since Toutatis will be 400 milli-arcseconds across at best, there may be some moderately detailed images taken of this tenth magnitude object by some of the giant adaptive optics telescopes. Perhaps seeing with as many as fifty pixels across the 'disk'.

Some of the radio echo studies should do even better. These are how we know the shape now.

[om@umr.edu]

Regardless of the possible validity of dooms-day scenarios, the public seems to be tired and suspicious of all these headline grabbers.

With kind regards,

Oliver
http://www.umr.edu/~om

[anaklinskywalkar1]

a good information.it makes eager to know more about that.

[mark mclellan]

Wouldnt an asteroid collision with mars be great, the Jupiter comet collisions just wetted the palet...we need more! Obviously Earth to be missed as i dont wish that upon us

[Z28Jerry]

Yeah, doomsday asteroids in the press make us all tired. But I relish the fact that every so often we get a chance to be so close to an object of this type. I am certain that there is much to learn from comets and asteroids.

But as far as them coliding with Earth, the chances of it happening in my lifetime is not really calculatable (sp?, lol) If it happens it happens, hell, I wouldn't even want to know it's coming more than an hour or so in advance.

[Paris]

Hi Earth habitants & Universe Today lovers,

The example of Toutatis should show us that we should treat our fellow humans with humanity and mother earth with the same respect that we would expect for ourselves. Because it could be all over in a glimpse. I am not a Doomsdayer but we may want to stop taking everyone and everything for granted...

It is God who holds the trigger and we don't want to encourage His wrath; and it's not just this "little" stone he could sling at our head but the whole universe (at one time). Lesson to learn for all: Stopp being cocky and ignorant, or else.... it could be just a small bloody rooftile that could hit your crown!!

I wish you all a new "beginning" and a peaceful rest of this millennium.

Love and Peace
Paris