It's 1.7 miles long. Its surface is covered in a sticky black substance similar to the gunk at the bottom of a barbecue. If it impacted Earth it would probably result in global extinction. Good thing it is just making a flyby.

Asteroid 1998 QE2 will make its closest pass to Earth on May 31 at 1:59 p.m. PDT.




Dark, massive asteroid to fly by Earth on May 31


NASA, better monitor this one.

It's 1.7 miles long. Its surface is covered in a sticky black substance similar to the gunk at the bottom of a barbecue. If it impacted Earth it would probably result in global extinction. Good thing it is just making a flyby.

Asteroid 1998 QE2 will make its closest pass to Earth on May 31 at 1:59 p.m. PDT.




Dark, massive asteroid to fly by Earth on May 31


NASA, better monitor this one.

I wonder how long till it does hit us . I hope someone is thinking about what to do when it finally is on a collision course , the orbit makes it look like it will some day ?

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It's 1.7 miles long. Its surface is covered in a sticky black substance similar to the gunk at the bottom of a barbecue. If it impacted Earth it would probably result in global extinction. Good thing it is just making a flyby.

Asteroid 1998 QE2 will make its closest pass to Earth on May 31 at 1:59 p.m. PDT.




Dark, massive asteroid to fly by Earth on May 31


NASA, better monitor this one.

I wonder how long till it does hit us . I hope someone is thinking about what to do when it finally is on a collision course , the orbit makes it look like it will some day ?

We have some hope??


Obama seeks $17.7 billion for NASA to lasso asteroid, explore space

It will miss, but fairly close in space terms.

Its been known about for 15 years. At its closest approach the asteroid will still be 3.6 million miles from our planet (about 15 times the distance between the Earth and the moon), but it will be close enough for powerful radar antennas to see features as small as 12 feet across.

Yes Chris I know it will miss this time .

There is no chance that asteroid 1998 QE2 could collide with Earth this go-around, and its next close approach won't be until 2119

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Close call: Massive two-mile-wide asteroid will miss Earth, according to NASA

It’s another close call.

NASA scientists say an asteroid nearly 2 miles in length will pass by the Earth on May 31. While it won’t be visible to the naked eye or amateur astronomers, its 3.6 million mile distance from the Earth qualifies as a relatively near approach.

One day a asteroid or comet, will hit us.

Close call: Massive two-mile-wide asteroid will miss Earth, according to NASA

It’s another close call.

NASA scientists say an asteroid nearly 2 miles in length will pass by the Earth on May 31. While it won’t be visible to the naked eye or amateur astronomers, its 3.6 million mile distance from the Earth qualifies as a relatively near approach.

One day a asteroid or comet, will hit us.

The one I am concerned about is Apophis

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Close call: Massive two-mile-wide asteroid will miss Earth, according to NASA

It’s another close call.

NASA scientists say an asteroid nearly 2 miles in length will pass by the Earth on May 31. While it won’t be visible to the naked eye or amateur astronomers, its 3.6 million mile distance from the Earth qualifies as a relatively near approach.

One day a asteroid or comet, will hit us.

The one I am concerned about is Apophis

Update:


Asteroid 1998 QE2 to Sail Past Earth Nine Times Larger Than Cruise Ship

On May 31, 2013, asteroid 1998 QE2 will sail serenely past Earth, getting no closer than about 3.6 million miles (5.8 million kilometers), or about 15 times the distance between Earth and the moon. And while QE2 is not of much interest to those astronomers and scientists on the lookout for hazardous asteroids, it is of interest to those who dabble in radar astronomy and have a 230-foot (70-meter) -- or larger -- radar telescope at their disposal.

Glenn, I'll be dead and buried when Apophis, comes around.

Asteroid fly-by on Friday sparks debate over readiness for ‘Armageddon’-style event

The passage close to Earth of a mountain-sized asteroid expected Friday has reignited discussions among scientists about how to deal with the improbable — but definitely possible — circumstance of an asteroid predicted to hit the planet.

1998 QE2, as the asteroid is designated, will pass Earth at what NASA calls a “safe distance” of about 3.6 million miles — 15 times the distance to the moon, but nonetheless a near miss in astronomical terms — at just before 5 p.m. Eastern on Friday.

Question. Does a pass this close alter the trajectory of the asteroid with either the possibility of a closer pass next time or a new trajectory that does not cross earth's path?

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Bob DeWoody

My motto: Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow as it may not be required. This no longer applies in light of current events.

NASA Radar Reveals Asteroid Has Its Own Moon

PASADENA, Calif. -- A sequence of radar images of asteroid 1998 QE2 was obtained on the evening of May 29, 2013, by NASA scientists using the 230-foot (70-meter) Deep Space Network antenna at Goldstone, Calif., when the asteroid was about 3.75 million miles (6 million kilometers) from Earth, which is 15.6 lunar distances.

The small moving white dot is the moon, or satellite, orbiting asteroid 1998 QE2.

asteroid 1998 QE2. Gone!!!

It maybe gone but I bet there'll be plenty still watching it to see how our gravity has affected its trajectory.

Cheers.

asteroid 1998 QE2. Gone!!!

and ? nothing ? no images... no video... no papers... no news... nothing ?
not even a single human lifted his head in the sky while it passed ?

Give them a couple of weeks and then we will probably see and watch and read some more about it .......

You never know Lynn we both mite live long enough to see Apophis come round the first time , everyone will be watching that one I expect .

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It maybe gone but I bet there'll be plenty still watching it to see how our gravity has affected its trajectory.

Cheers.

The "superior" BBC carried this yesterday:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-22736709

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Bob Smith
Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society)
Somewhere in the (un)known Universe?

After this, asteroid 1998 QE2 will hurtle back out into deep space; Friday's visit will be its closest approach for at least two centuries.

Not quite sure about the "superior" comment, but no doubt we will be enlightened in due course :-)

Has to superior doesn't it , it is the BBC !!!......hehehe

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I watched it in real time on NASA TV.
Tullio

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We were told repeatedly that the fact that the asteroid was discovered to have a moon would make it possible to get a good handle on its density, and so, some idea what it was made of. Dr. Philip Plait, astronomer, writing on May 31st, anticipated that this informations 'would be coming in over the next few days'. That was 3 & 1/2 weeks ago. Nothing more has been heard about it. Wondering about this, I emailed a JPL representative, whose address was attached to an article on the asteroid, which came out some time ago. Will report back here when I get a reply.

The moon will pin down the mass once they are able to work out its orbit. As it passed close enough we have a good diameter. Easy to get a density from that. Optically we know how bright it is and how far away, which also give a good guess as to what it is made from and hence the density. Same from the amount of radar energy reflected back at us and some information of surface roughness. There is a lot more there than just the pretty pictures.

It doesn't take long to toss the numbers in and get an answer. What may take a while is for an astronomer to get paid to do it. Don't know if JPL has a contract to do that, or if it would be someone's pet project. Either way then it has to get a peer review. Also don't know if JPL will be the publisher, or http://www.minorplanetcenter.net/, or if it has to go the scientific paper route. No matter, the data will get out there in due time.

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I heard back from David Agle at the JPL within 24 hours of my inquiry. I quote his reply in full -- "A very preliminary density estimate ~ 1 g/cm^3. So a very porous object."
An interesting reply on several counts. This figure falls rather neatly between that of 'primitive', dark, 'rubble pile' (type C) asteroids, which this one is supposed to be, and comets. The former have an average density of about 1.4, the latter around 0.4.
Type C asteroids typically have about a quarter of their volume taken up by open spaces between rocky fragments (porosity). In order to account for such a low density, this object would probably have to be about half open spaces.

Thanks, Chris. It was a funny sort of 'half-way' situation. They weren't putting this preliminary information out on their own, but were willing to give it promptly when asked. The fact that they only have a 'very preliminary' density estimate, two weeks after the last radar observations, still seems a little surprising.
I suspect that the object may be an extinct comet nuclei. Having used up much of its light, volatile ices, the remaining material would give it a higher bulk density than is typical with comets -- 0.4 to 0.6 g/cm^3.