Da li neko mozda zna netso o ovom asteroidu 2004 XP14 .... i ako postoje neke fotografije istog sa zemlje kroz teleskop?

An asteroid possibly as large as a half-mile or more in diameter is rapidly approaching the Earth.  There is no need for concern, for no collision is in the offing, but the space rock will make an exceptionally close approach to our planet early on Monday, July 3, passing just beyond the Moon’s average distance from Earth.

Astronomers will attempt to get a more accurate assessment of the asteroid’s size by “pinging” it with radar.

And skywatchers with good telescopes and some experience just might be able to get a glimpse of this cosmic rock as it streaks rapidly past our planet in the wee hours Monday. The closest approach occurs late Sunday for U.S. West Coast skywatchers.

The asteroid, designated 2004 XP14, was discovered on Dec. 10, 2004 by the Lincoln Laboratory Near Earth Asteroid Research (LINEAR), a continuing camera survey to keep watch for asteroids that may pass uncomfortably close to Earth.

Although initially there were concerns that this asteroid might possibly impact Earth later this century and thus merit special monitoring, further analysis of its orbit has since ruled out any such collision, at least in the foreseeable future.

Size not known

Asteroid 2004 XP14 is a member of a class of asteroids known as Apollo, which have Earth-crossing orbits. The name comes from 1862 Apollo, the first asteroid of this group to be discovered. There are now 1,989 known Apollos.

The size of 2004 XP 14 is not precisely known. But based on its brightness, the diameter is believed to be somewhere in the range of 1,345 to 3,018-feet  (410 to 920 meters). That's between a quarter mile and just over a half-mile wide.

Due to the proximity of its orbit to Earth [Map] and its estimated size, this object has been classified as a “Potentially Hazardous Asteroid” (PHA) by the Minor Planet Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts. There are currently 783 PHAs.

The latest calculations show that 2004 XP14 will pass closest to Earth at 04:25 UT on July 3 (12:25 a.m. EDT or 9:25 p.m. PDT on July 2).  The asteroid’s distance from Earth at that moment will be 268,624 miles (432,308 km), or just 1.1 times the Moon’s average distance from Earth.

Spotting 2004 XP14 will be a challenge, best accomplished by seasoned observers with moderate-sized telescopes.

On April 13, 2029, observers in Asia and North Africa will have a chance to see another asteroid, but without needing a telescope. Asteroid 99942 Apophis, about 1,000 feet (300 meters) wide, is expected to be visible to the naked eye as it passes within 20,000 miles (32,000 km). Astronomers say an asteroid that large comes that close about once every 1,500 years.

Observing plans

As 2004 XP14 makes its closest approach to Earth, astronomers will attempt to gauge its size and shape by analysis of very high frequency radio waves reflected from its surface.

Such radar measurements of the exact distance and velocity of the asteroid will allow for precise information on its orbit.  From this scientists can also discern details of the asteroid’s mass, as well as a measurement of its density, which is a very important indicator of its overall composition and internal structure.

Astronomers plan to utilize NASA's 70-meter (230-foot) diameter Goldstone radar, the largest and most sensitive antenna in its Deep Space Network.  Located in California’s Mojave Desert, the Goldstone antenna has been used to bounce radio signals off other Near-Earth asteroids many times before, and it is now being readied to “ping” 2004 XP14 on July 3, 4 and 5.

Augmenting the Goldstone observations will be radar observations scheduled at Evpatoria in the Ukraine, commencing several hours prior to the July 3 observations at Goldstone.

Mislim da slika dovoljno prikazuje koliko smo bili blizu smrti , bukvalno smo je gledali u oci!

Asteroid projurio pored Zemlje



Golemi asteroid 2004 XP14 u noći s nedjelje na ponedjeljak prozujao je tik pored Mjeseca, na samo 432 tisuće kilometara od našeg planeta, objavili su znanstvenici. Za dlaku.

Da bi dobili uvid koliko je to daleko, ili blizu, asteroid je projurio na nešto većoj udaljenosti od one na kojoj se nalazi Mjesec.

Astronomi znaju vrlo malo o tom asteroidu koji je prvi put uočen 2004. Prema jačini svjetla izračunato je da je širok malo manje od jednog kilometra.

U posljednjih nekoliko godina pokraj Zemlje je projurilo nekoliko desetaka asteroida, ali je ovaj najveći. A astronomi kažu da će u ovom stoljeću taj asteroid projuriti pored Zemlje još 10-ak puta.

Izvor: NetPortal

It’s not dangerous but it’s close enough to make scientists both happy and worried.  Happy because they get to see such cosmic objects from a close distance and worried because in the future it is possible for other objects from 2004 XP14’s class of asteroids (and even for 2004XP14 itself) to hit Earth.

They are categorized as “Apollos” (from Apollo class asteroids) and have all orbits that intersect with our planet. The one we’ll see on July 3 is baptized 2004XP14 and is half mile in diameter.

Discovered by the Lincoln Laboratory Near Earth Asteroid Research (LINEAR) on Dec. 10, 2004, XP14 is under close watch by a concerned team of astronomers because of the possibility that this asteroid might impact with Earth during this century, even though a thorough study and analysis of its course and orbit concluded that humanity is not yet in danger.

More than three dozen asteroids have flown closer to Earth in the last few years, but scientists say 2004 XP14 is one of the largest to fly by. "For something of this size to come this close is unusual," said Don Yeomans, who heads the Near Earth Object Program at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

It will hit Earth’s orbit at only 268,624 km high in the sky and this is why is considered a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid." The latest calculations show that 2004 XP14 will pass closest to Earth at 04:25 UT on July 3 (12:25 a.m. EDT or 9:25 p.m. PDT on July 2).  The asteroid’s distance from Earth at that moment will be 268,624-miles (432,308 km), or just 1.1 times the Moon’s average distance from Earth.

Scientists only approximate the asteroid’s measures, hoping to get a better “view” at it when it shall cross our orbit, with the help of some ultra-sophisticated instruments. The will play “ping-pong” with radar beams directed at the asteroid, and later they will analyze the shape and composition of 2004XP14 using the deflected high-frequency waves bounced back. They plan to use a giant radar beacon at the Goldstone Observatory in the Mojave Desert to bounce signals off the asteroid as it flies by.

Only American space fans are going to be able to take a good look at the “friendly” cosmic passer-by, using powerful telescopes. Although Europeans are also able to view it, their images are going to be a whole lot less clear. The asteroid will look like a streaking dot against a background of stationary stars, said Roger Sinnott, a senior editor at Sky & Telescope magazine.

"You have to know where to point your telescope because this tiny dot will be gliding by," Sinnott said.
"Close flybys of Earth like this one, or the even closer flyby the asteroid Apophis will make in 2029, remind us that we live in a cosmic shooting gallery," said Bruce Betts, Director of Projects for The Planetary Society. "We must be vigilant in our efforts to find potential impactors, and in our ponderings of what to do if one is coming for Earth," he added.

Speeding along at 17 kilometers per second (10.5 miles per second), the asteroid will be moving by so fast that it will be covering 8.323 degrees every hour.

Scientists are very interested in asteroids since they are materials of the early years of the solar system. Gaining a complete understanding of these cosmic vagabonds will enable them to construct a full picture of Earth's early life and formative beginnings.

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