2012 DA14 Asteroid

Today will see the 2012 DA14 asteroid fly by planet Earth making history for a number of reasons. Whilst there is absolutely no chance that the asteroid will hit Earth scientists are very excited to get an up close and personal view of Friday’s asteroid flyby. the asteroid which is the half the size of a football field will pass close to earth at around 7:24pm GMT and should be visible to the naked eye.

Astroid - 2012 DA14 - Feb 15th 2013

One of the interesting facts about this asteroid flyby is the distance from the Earth. 17,200 miles may seem like an expansive distance but in the world of astronomy and astrophysics, this is extremely close to the planet. This will allow scientists to get a good look at the astral body as it passes by helping them to further understand the science behind asteroid behavior. 2012 DA14 is an S-Type asteroid which means it is composed of a rocky substance mainly containing silicate material.

This asteroid has been compared to the Tunguska event of 1908 in Siberia which leveled an area of trees 825 square miles across. As mentioned before there is no chance that 2012 DA14 will hit the Earth. Amateur astronomers will be out in force across the globe to try and get a glimpse of this historic event.

So keep your eyes to the sky if you are out and about around 7:30pm. This could be one of the best asteroid viewing events of our time. If you are interested in astronomy or even if you are not then we hope you have the time to grab five minutes to see if this asteroid will be visible from your home. Leave your comments below if you manage to see anything in the sky tonight. It is said by some that you will be able to use binoculars to see the object more clearly than the naked eye alone.


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Chris Brown
Christopher Brown is Consett Magazine's lead journalist. Chris enjoys meeting with a whole host of different people to report on what's happening in Consett, Co.Durham.

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