Wednesday, February 9, 2011

More than 100...

potentially hazardous asteroids have been added to the catalog during the last year, bring the total number to 1,197 (at the time of this post). The known list numbered 1,017 in early 2009, and 1,093 in 2010.

Spaceweather.com reports today that:
"Newly-discovered asteroid 2011 CA7 is flying past Earth today only 63,000 miles away, or 1/4th the distance to the Moon. At closest approach around 1700 UT on Feb. 9th, the VW-Bug-sized space rock will zip through the constellation Orion glowing like a 17th magnitude star." 

And remember this close shave, just days ago.

It's becoming a shooting gallery out there.

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