Astroid passing thru Clarke Belt

[winman97]

A story appeared on last night's news broadcast about a significally large astroid passing through the orbiting satellite neighborhood on Friday afternoon. Actually they pointed out that the astroid would be traveling for a time between the earth and the Clarke Belt. I doubt if the rock would actually hit a satellite, but would their be a chance that some of the debris field could hit or damage an orbiting bird? Does anyone know the exact location within the belt of entry and exit in relation to Dish or Direct sats??
And did anybody see the video of that huge meteor that hit Russia yesterday?? Report of over 1000 people injured (mostly by breaking glass from the sonic boom)

 

[lucky86]

I bet the impact from this, if there is any, will be very minimal.

 

[Cold Irons]

Story has been in the news for a couple of weeks. The geometry of the fly-by is such that there's no (i.e. very very small) chance of it actually hitting a geo-stationary satellite. It is passing between the earth and the geo-stationary orbit location, but is not in the equatorial plane where the satellites are located. Also, the distances are so big that there would be very little chance of any debris field objects hitting the satellites.

 

[TheKrell]

Asteroid 2012 DA14 is coming in almost perpendicular to the Clarke Belt, and will almost certainly cause no harm to the sats therein. Frank posted (in the Pub) a great simulation from JPL which shows the view from the asteroid coming in from the direction of Antarctica. Ah... Here it is!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISSArm_yvtQ&feature=player_embedded

 

[dare2be]

What I don't understand is if the asteroid is in a similar solar orbit as the earth, why is it traveling past Earth in a perpendicular direction to the earth-solar orbital plane?

 

[lucky86]

.

 

[winman97]

Asteroid 2012 DA14 is coming in almost perpendicular to the Clarke Belt, and will almost certainly cause no harm to the sats therein. Frank posted (in the Pub) a great simulation from JPL which shows the view from the asteroid coming in from the direction of Antarctica. Ah... Here it is!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISSArm_yvtQ&feature=player_embedded

Great animation from JPL. Thanks for the link. Estimated size of the astroid is about half the length of a football field and the height of a 12 story building; so no small rock.

 

[mike123abc]

Even if it were to pass right through the orbits... The satellite tend to be spaced about 50 miles apart and this is the size of a bus, it would be very unlikely to hit a satellite.

 

[Cold Irons]

What I don't understand is if the asteroid is in a similar solar orbit as the earth, why is it traveling past Earth in a perpendicular direction to the earth-solar orbital plane?

This asteroid is obiting the sun, but not in the eliptic plane. Not all solar system orbits match up with this plane.

 

[dare2be]

This asteroid is obiting the sun, but not in the eliptic plane. Not all solar system orbits match up with this plane.

Ok, so 2012 DA14 is a one-time fly-by, not a cyclical event?

Nevermind, I found this:



...which confuses me even more, as its orbital plane is nowhere near as perpendicular as the animation shows. Even accounting for the earth's 23 degree axis tilt it looks like the approach of the asteroid would be at most 45 degrees to the equitorial plane.

3rd edit: Ok, I get it now. It doesn't really matter the inclination of the plane, since both objects are orbiting in the same direction, as the two orbital planes cross the object will appear to be moving in a perpendicular direction.

 

[winman97]

It's doing another fly by

Ok, so 2012 DA14 is a one-time fly-by, not a cyclical event?

Cyclical? YES, according to NASA it will be back around in about 35 years, then again in another 35 years....Don't know beyond that. Next trip near earth could get as close as 5000 miles, which is a lot closer than the 17,000 this time.

 

[navychop]

We'll see. Or, some of you may see- I won't likely be here, unless I approach my paternal grandmother's lifespan. Lot of other factors that could change that prediction.

Of course, this could be a practice target, to "redirect" the object as a test of methods to deflect more dangerous objects.

 

[Bobby]

We'll see. Or, some of you may see- I won't likely be here, unless I approach my paternal grandmother's lifespan. Lot of other factors that could change that prediction.

Of course, this could be a practice target, to "redirect" the object as a test of methods to deflect more dangerous objects.

I hear that Navy, in 35 years I'll be 104!

 

[navychop]

And still looking forward to retirement?

 

[TheKrell]

OK. Bobby is older than me, and Navy is younger than me... Hmmm. Navy, just when do you expect to crump?

 

[Bobby]

And still looking forward to retirement?

Nah, I've been retired for 3+ years and am looking forward to that next 35 years of it.....

 

[navychop]

OK. Bobby is older than me, and Navy is younger than me... Hmmm. Navy, just when do you expect to crump?

Could be this year. I'm at the age my father was when he died.

But his mother lived to 98, so there's hope.

His father died at a relatively young age, due to being in the way of some high speed lead. "Hunting" accident.

 

[TheKrell]

So what are you saying? The men in your family die young? Hunting accidents don't count.

 

[navychop]

And hence, there's little data to go on.