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[Askherserenity]

Scientists working with NASA's 230-foot-wide (70-meter) Deep Space Network antenna at Goldstone, California, have released the first radar images of asteroid 2004 BL86. The images show the asteroid, which made its closest approach today (Jan. 26, 2015) at 8:19 a.m. PST (11:19 a.m. EST) at a distance of about 745,000 miles (1.2 million kilometers, or 3.1 times the distance from Earth to the moon), has its own small moon.

Here's the video they put together.

http://youtu.be/1y7CYf4X3Lo

Also, just found out an asteroid flew right past us today. Cool.

 

[HORRORSHØW]

that seemed really close and fairly big.

 

[raindoc]

No asteroid. Mothership.

 

[BeatResetsTheWorld]

that seemed really close and fairly big.

Asteroids can be tracked from thousands of miles away. These things don't just pop up out of nowhere and surprise scientists

 

[Orbis Tabula]

Probably more fun than flying through space alone.

 

[Clydefrog]

Haha, dumbass asteroid missed us!

neener neener

 

[jchap]

Asteroids can be tracked from thousands of miles away. These things don't just pop up out of nowhere and surprise scientists

 

[Amir0x]

Asteroids can be tracked from thousands of miles away. These things don't just pop up out of nowhere and surprise scientists

haha they do all the time

do you know how big space is and how pitiable the actual funding for asteroid tracking is?

 

[Winterfang]

I thought Asteroids where gigantic and stationary.

 

[KarmaCow]

Asteroids can be tracked from thousands of miles away. These things don't just pop up out of nowhere and surprise scientists

Well they do sometimes. It's actually hard to see them if they aren't reflecting light. I believe there was a recent case of astronomers finding an asteroid a day or so before it passed between the Earth-Moon orbit.

 

[injurai]

Asteroids can be tracked from thousands of miles away. These things don't just pop up out of nowhere and surprise scientists

You actually can't find things unless they reflect a significant amount of light, or are big enough to scatter a light source they pass in front of. Or their gravitational effect is observed in surrounding matter.

 

[Hackworth]

I thought Asteroids where gigantic and stationary.

Nothing in space is stationary.
If you're talking about the asteroid belt then yeah, they mostly stick to their orbits.

 

[adj_noun]

I thought Asteroids where gigantic and stationary.

Asteroids cabinets are.

 

[jambo]

Asteroids can be tracked from thousands of miles away. These things don't just pop up out of nowhere and surprise scientists

lol no.

Space is huge.

HUUUUUGE!

 

[Rebel Leader]

lol no.

Space is huge.

HUUUUUGE!

SSSSSSSSSSSPPPPPPPPPPPPAAAAAAACCCCCCCEEEEEEE

 

[Fenderputty]

Asteroids can be tracked from thousands of miles away. These things don't just pop up out of nowhere and surprise scientists

They do that often enough.

 

[cdyhybrid]

That's no moon...

 

[darscot]

That's no moon...

Alien spacecraft hiding behind asteroid.

 

[injurai]

Alien spacecraft hiding behind asteroid.

decepticons

 

[Poltergust]

Asteroids can be tracked from thousands of miles away. These things don't just pop up out of nowhere and surprise scientists

You make it sound as if thousands of miles actually means anything in the context of space.

 

[Askherserenity]

Alien spacecraft hiding behind asteroid.

It's crazy how they can even tell it's a moon.

Anyone here know how they go about figuring all that out?

 

[everyday math]

that seemed really close and fairly big.

How was that close?

Read about this yesterday. Cool that it has a moon.

 

[TimeEffect]

It's crazy how they can even tell it's a moon.

Anyone here know how they go about figuring all that out?

What do you mean? It's orbiting the asteroid.

Aren't they just talking about it like it's a satellite? What's the difference?

 

[shira]

That's no moon...

 

[Rabbi_Vole]

It's crazy how they can even tell it's a moon.

Anyone here know how they go about figuring all that out?

They can tell by its trail of moon-gas.

 

[Askherserenity]

What do you mean? It's orbiting the asteroid.

I didn't really see it orbiting the asteroid in the video so I was just wondering. Just seemed like it was just trailing behind it.

 

[FantasticMrFoxdie]

Asteroids can be tracked from thousands of miles away. These things don't just pop up out of nowhere and surprise scientists

Hate to break it to you like the others, but were fucked. We can't track everything and it happens all the time.

 

[Fenderputty]

How was that close?

Read about this yesterday. Cool that it has a moon.

3 times the distance of our moon is considered close is it not?

 

[MilkLizard]

Asteroids can be tracked from thousands of miles away. These things don't just pop up out of nowhere and surprise scientists

Dude

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjVBojFnY7I&t=12m9s

 

[ElectricKaibutsu]

Well they do sometimes. It's actually hard to see them if they aren't reflecting light. I believe there was a recent case of astronomers finding an asteroid a day or so before it passed between the Earth-Moon orbit.

I think they actually spotted it a day or so after.

 

[everyday math]

3 times the distance of our moon is considered close is it not?

Seems pretty damn far away to me.

Space is huge. 700k miles. That's not even near us.

 

[TheLostBigBoss]

Space is a scary chaotic place.

Just be thankful we have Jupiter to be our cosmic punching bag.

 

[Trickster]

How the fuck does it even have the gravity to keep that thing in orbit around it? It's only 650 meter long from what I read.

 

[CosmicQueso]

Space is a scary chaotic place.

Just be thankful we have Jupiter to be our cosmic punching bag.

Hell yeah. One of the benefits of being just a mote of dust trapped in a sunbeam.

 

[TheLostBigBoss]

Seems pretty damn far away to me.

Space is huge. 700k miles. That's not even near us.

Space is huge, so having something come that close in the scale of space IS really close.

 

[BeatResetsTheWorld]

Guys, I'm talking about huge asteroids large enough to not fully burn up in entry AND cause significant damage if they touch down