Asteroid Headed Our Way

Nemke
11/5/2011

Date of Article: November 5 2011
Author of Article: David Perlman
Source: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2011/11/05/MN3V1LOKC9.DTL

Asteroid Headed Our Way

A giant black asteroid is heading toward us at speeds over 30,000 miles per hour. Scientists say it wont hit us, but it will miss the Earth only by 200,000 miles (in cosmic terms that is very close). It will pass Earth at 11:13 pm on Tuesday, 8 November. The asteroid was detected six years ago by Robert S. McMillan, director of the University of Arizona's Spacewatch project. The name given to it was 2005 YU55 it shows the discovery time and date.

The asteroid disappeared from view a few times in the six years that we know about it. It is coming from the direction of the sun so it wont be observed until it is close to us.Scotti said. "But no worries since it has been so well observed in the past, we know where it is." The asteroid is a C type according to NASA which means it has carbon and hydrated minerals containing water. Because of the carbon its black much like the common meteors that fall to Earth every now and then. An asteroid about this size fly's by every 20-30 years. When it passes Venus in 2029 the gravity will change its orbit again. The pass on Tuesday will give scientists a rare chance of a close up to see if its cratered.

My Opinion

I hope I get to see it on Tuesday when it passes by but I probably wont be able to see it because I don't have a telescope. I think its awesome that it wont hit Earth but it will be passing by close to it. I hope the scientists get the information they wanted from the asteroid.