Asteroid 2010 GA6 Will Pass Close to Earth Today

Last year I did a significant post on a near miss of earth by an asteroid that occurred on March 2, 2009. Today another recently discovered asteroid measuring approximately 71 feet across will pass close to the earth. The asteroid named 2010 GA6 will pass within 223,000 miles of earth and will be 16,000 miles closer to us than the moon. The event will occur approximately at 4:00 pm PST.

This past January another asteroid passed within 76,000 miles of earth as well.

Though it should pass safely the discovery of the number of asteroids passing near the earth is on the rise due to more time, techniques and research being devoted to their discovery.

Referred to NEO's (Near Earth Objects) there are a number of groups and people concerned with this external threat that these objects present. One of the most notable organizations involved in this area is The Association of Space Explorers (ASE) Committee on Near-Earth Objects (NEOs)

The ASE-NEO committee is dedicated to raising awareness of this issue and in efforts to get the international community to protect the Earth from future asteroid impacts.

Another interesting group which I have only become recently aware of through some brief communications with Rusty Schweickart is the B612 Foundation. The goal of the B612 Foundation is to find a method for significantly altering the orbit of an asteroid so that it does not impact the earth. They plan on doing this by 2015.

Interestingly enough Rusty Schweickart and I are planning on getting together sometime in the next moth or two to discuss this very issue. I'll keep you posted as to what occurs and how I become involved more with this issue over the next several months.

Earth Has Near Miss With Asteroid on March 2nd 2009

Do you know where you were, or what you were doing on March 2nd 2009 around 5:44 AM PST or 8:44 EST. Most of us were either getting up or on our way to work that morning just as we do everyday.

However, most people are unaware that a small Asteroid measuring approximately 100 feet (30 meters) across passed within 63,500 km or 39,457 miles of the planet earth at this time. This distance is about 1/5th the distance to the Moon to put into perspective for you.

The Asteroid known as 2009 DD45 though small is roughly the same size ar the one that is suspected to have landed in Tunguska, Siberia in 1908, commonly referred to as the "Tunguska Event" which destroyed 800 square miles of forest in the area.

Even though this event would not have caused a mass extinction event, if this Asteroid were to have hit Earth, it would have had the same impact as a nuclear weapon, and would have probably destroyed a major city if had hit one.

Scientists have been searching space to find Near Earth Objects that might hit us, however this one was not found until February 27th which would not have been enough time to take action should it have been on course to hit us.

Animations of the event below:

Actual View of 2009 DD45 passing Earth:

On April 13th in 2029 an Asteroid known as 99942 Apophis will pass within 20,000 miles of Earth, closer than communications satellite. Apophis is about 885 square feet in size and is expected to return seven years later again on April 13th 2036 and may strike the planet.