Close Asteroid Pass

[steve_bank]

It was observed only a week ago.

Newly discovered asteroid to pass closer to Earth than the moon Monday

Astronomers didn’t know about the space rock until about a week ago.

www.nbcnews.com

The asteroid was discovered on May 10 by astronomers with the Mount Lemmon Survey, an astronomical project based in Arizona’s Santa Catalina Mountains.


A newly discovered asteroid estimated to be about 62 feet wide will zoom near Earth on Monday, though it is not expected to pose a threat to the planet.

It is rare for an object of this size to make such a close flyby of Earth, though not unprecedented.

 

[Tigers!]

Amazing that even today objects can get so close before we pick them up.

The energy released by a collision would be b-i-g huge. Pity we cannot store it for later.