Asteroid 2004 BL86 scheduled for close encounter with Earth in January

[jakeXT]

An asteroid a third of a mile across will pass close by Earth on 26 January.

Codenamed 2004 BL86, the asteroid is expected to reach a point about 745,000 miles from our planet, or three times the distance to the moon.

Although easily far enough away to be safe, the fly-by counts as a narrow encounter in astronomical terms.

It will be the closest any asteroid comes to Earth until the predicted fly-past of another rock, 1999 AN10, on 7 August 2027.

Latest estimates suggest that AN10, which is 0.6 miles across, could approach as close as 19,000 miles.

http://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/jan/18/asteroid-earth-january-space-rock-2004-bl86-planet-moon-nasa

[elleng]

1. info + pics here.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/103639073

[progressoid]

2. frickin cool.