Asteroid passes within 28,000 kilometers of Earth

The X-group is a collection of several types of asteroids that do not fit into the C-group or S-group. Included in the X-group is the M-type asteroid, which are the third most common asteroid type. M-type asteroids are moderately bright asteroids, some of which have a nickel-iron composition. 21 Lutetia, pictured here, is an example of an M-type asteroid within the X-group.S-type asteroids have a stony composition, consisting mostly of iron-silicate and magnesium-silicate minerals. S-type asteroids account for about 17% of the asteroids in the asteroid belt. 433 Eros, pictured here, is an example of an S-type asteroid.C-type asteroids are carbonaceous asteroids, composed of organic compounds, oxides, silicates, sulfides, and water. They account for about 75% of known asteroids in the asteroid belt. 1 Ceres, pictured here, is the most prominent example of a C-type asteroid.View the list »
Asteroid 2012 DA14 passed very close to Earth on February 15.

Science & Space newsletter

On Friday at 2:25 p.m. EST, asteroid 2012 DA14 passed within 28,000 kilometers of Earth, the closest encounter with a near-Earth object since systematic tracking operations began in the 1990s. This is roughly 13 times closer than the distance from Earth to the Moon, and the effect of Earth's gravitational pull on 2012 DA14 will alter its orbit, shortening its orbit around the Sun by 51 Earth days.

Related topics

Advertisement

The asteroid has a diameter of 45 meters, a mass of 130,000 metric tons, and passed by at a velocity varying between 20,000 and 30,000 kilometers per hour.

While scientists ruled out the possibility of an impact earlier this week, such an asteroid could cause significant damage if it collided with Earth. Asteroids of similar size caused the Tunguska event in Siberia in 1908 and the Meteor Crater event in present-day Arizona about 50,000 years ago.

Below are brief overviews of the three most common types of asteroids. 2012 DA14 is an S-type asteroid.

View the list
  • C-type asteroids are carbonaceous asteroids, composed of organic compounds, oxides, silicates, sulfides, and water. They account for about 75% of known asteroids in the asteroid belt. 1 Ceres, pictured here, is the most prominent example of a C-type asteroid.
  • S-type asteroids have a stony composition, consisting mostly of iron-silicate and magnesium-silicate minerals. S-type asteroids account for about 17% of the asteroids in the asteroid belt. 433 Eros, pictured here, is an example of an S-type asteroid.
  • The X-group is a collection of several types of asteroids that do not fit into the C-group or S-group. Included in the X-group is the M-type asteroid, which are the third most common asteroid type. M-type asteroids are moderately bright asteroids, some of which have a nickel-iron composition. 21 Lutetia, pictured here, is an example of an M-type asteroid within the X-group.
View the list
Suggested by the author:

, Charlotte Mathematical Science Examiner

Matthew Reece holds a physics degree from the University of North Carolina-Wilmington. A student of many other fields, both related and unrelated to physics, Matthew has a firm grasp of and writes articles about many subjects. Matthew has been interested in mathematics and physics from an early...

Advertisement

Today's top buzz...