Click here to view live streaming of Asteroid 2012 DA14, right now!
Earth is about to dodge a bullet as Asteroid 2012 DA flies past in a near-miss situation, coming closer than many communication satellites. Measuring at an estimated 150 feet wide, the asteroid will come within 17,200 miles of the Earth's surface, traveling through the Geosynchronous Ring, which has a distance of approximately 22,000 miles from Earth's surface, and alarmingly closer than the moon's orbit, 239,000 miles from the Earth's surface. While scientists are not 100% the asteroid will not hit Earth, they are sure that we are in for a historical view!
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Asteroid 2012 DA14 will be at its closest point at 1:24 pm CST (19:24 GMT) on Friday, February 15, 2013 as it zips directly above the eastern Indian Ocean off the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Unfortunately, this means that there will be a very limited viewing area as it travels at the speed of approximately 18,000 miles per hour, roughly eight times faster than a bullet from a high-speed rifle. The asteroid will be virtually invisible to the naked eye, and even with some binoculars and telescopes, it will only appear as a small pinprick of light. Furthermore, the prime viewing locations will be limited to Asia, Australia, and eastern Europe.
Click here to view live streaming of Asteroid 2012 DA14, right now!
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