Jumbo-jet-size asteroid makes close flyby of Earth

          Source: Xinhua| 2018-05-17 10:22:43|Editor: Chengcheng
          Video PlayerClose

          WASHINGTON, May 16 (Xinhua) -- A jumbo-jet-size asteroid made a close flyby of Earth on Tuesday at a distance of 203,000 km, the closest approach it made in at least two centuries.

          According to the Minor Planet Center, a U.S. official body dealing with astrometric observations and orbits of minor planets (asteroids) and comets, the asteroid 2010 WC9 made its closest flyby at 2205 GMT while traveling at a speed of 12.8 km per second.

          It flew no closer to Earth's surface than about 203,000 km, which is about half the distance between Earth and the Moon.

          Invisible to the naked eye, it was observed through telescopes by astronomers with Tenagra Observatories in U.S. state of Arizona and The Virtual Telescope Project in Italy.

          Astronomers estimated that 2010 WC9 is around 38 to 119 meters in diameter, as big as New York City's Statue of Liberty.

          The asteroid was first spotted on Nov. 30, 2010, and tracked for about 10 days before astronomers failed to see it.

          On May 8, stargazers once again discovered it and have been tracking its approach since then although its threat to Earth was already ruled out in 2010 based on orbit calculations.

          TOP STORIES
          EDITOR’S CHOICE
          MOST VIEWED
          EXPLORE XINHUANET
          010020070750000000000000011100001371856551
          无码人妻一区二区三区四区av_亚洲精品911在线永久观看_精品一区二区国产在线观看_日韩不卡一区二区视频在线

                  亚洲午夜福利在线观看首页 | 日韩欧美乱国产日韩欧美 | 亚洲国产九九九热视频 | 亚洲系列一区中文字幕 | 亚洲欧美日本一本二本三本 | 最新日韩一区二区综合另类 |