Watch asteroid 2012 DA14 flyby live

watch-asteroid-2012-da14-flyby-live

Asteroid 2012 DA14 was discovered at the La Sagra Sky Survey, Spain on February 23, 2012, when it was about 2.7 million miles (4.3 million kilometers) away.

Its flyby is the closest ever predicted Earth approach for an object this large (first estimates 45 m) which makes it such an interesting NEO. It is traveling at about 17 450 miles per hour (28 100 kilometers per hour), or 4.8 miles per second (7.82 kilometers per second) relative to Earth, and by latest estimates, it is about 65 meters in diameter.

It will be closest to Earth on February 15, 2013, at approximately 19:24 UTC (2:24 p.m. EST/11:24 a.m. PST). 

At the time of closest approach, the asteroid will be over the eastern Indian Ocean, off Sumatra — approx. latitude: -6 deg South. / longitude: 97.5 deg East. Depending on local weather, it will be visible from parts of Europe, Africa and Asia.

2012 DA 14 will appear to be moving relatively quickly as it crosses the sky from the south to the north, it will be too faint to be visible to the naked eye, but it can be picked up with a good pair of binoculars.

Graphic depicts the trajectory of asteroid 2012 DA14 on Feb 15, 2013. In this view, we are looking down from above Earth's north pole. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

The graphic depicts the trajectory of asteroid 2012 DA14 on Feb 15, 2013. In this view, we are looking down from above Earth's north pole. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

At the time of closest approach, asteroid 2012 DA 14 will be only about 17 200 miles (27 700 kilometers) above Earth's surface. This distance is well outside Earth's atmosphere, but it is inside the belt of satellites in geostationary orbit, which is located 22 200 miles (35 800 kilometers) above Earth’s surface. The close-approach distance is only about one-tenth the distance between Earth and the moon or about twice the diameter of the Earth.

YouTube video

Where to watch asteroid 2012 DA14 live

  • NASA Television will provide commentary starting at 2 p.m. EST Feb 15 (11 a.m. PST, 19:00 UTC). The commentary will be available via NASA TV and streamed live online at: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv and http://www.ustream.tv/nasajpl2
  • In addition to the commentary, near real-time imagery of the asteroid's flyby before and after closest approach, made available to NASA by astronomers in Australia and Europe, weather permitting, will be streamed beginning at about noon EST (9 a.m. PST, 17:00 UTC) and continuing through the afternoon at the following website:  http://www.ustream.tv/nasajpl2
  • Slooh Space Camera will cover its near-approach on Friday, February 15th, with several live shows on Slooh.com, free to the public, starting at 6 PM PST / 9 PM EST / 02:00 UTC (2/16) – International times here: http://goo.gl/ythGd – accompanied by real-time discussions with Slooh Space Camera’s Paul Cox, astronomer and author Bob Berman, and Prescott Observatory manager, Matt Francis. Viewers can watch live on their PC or IOS/Android mobile device.  https://plus.google.com/u/0/108176209664415419112/posts/TqoA426EhKB
  • A Ustream feed of the flyby from a telescope at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., will be streamed for three hours starting at 9 p.m. EST (8 p.m. CST, 02:00 UTC). To view the feed and ask researchers questions about the flyby via Twitter, visit: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nasa-msfc
  • Remotely controlled Robotic Telescopes announced their coverage here: http://www.virtualtelescope.eu/webtv/
  • Note: Have more links for live coverage of 2012 DA14 flyby? Contact us or post in comments, tnx.

Need help converting times to your local time? – Use this tool.

What would happen if 2012 DA 14 would impact the Earth

It is believed that there are approximately 500 000 near-Earth asteroids the size of 2012 DA14. Of those, less than one percent have been discovered. Scientists at NASA's Near-Earth Object Program Office in Pasadena, Calif. estimate that an asteroid the size of 2012 DA14 flies this close every 40 years on average and that one will impact Earth, on average, about once in every 1 200 years.

Asteroid 2012 DA14 will not impact Earth, but if another asteroid of a size similar to that of 2012 DA14 (about 150 feet across) were to impact Earth, it would release approximately 2.5 megatons of energy in the atmosphere and would be expected to cause regional devastation.

A comparison to the impact potential of an asteroid the size of 2012 DA14 could be made to the impact of a near-Earth object that occurred in 1908 in Tuguska, Siberia. Known in the asteroid community as the "Tunguska Event," this impact of an asteroid just slightly smaller than 2012 DA14 (approximately 100 – 130 feet/30-40 meters across) is believed to have flattened about 750 square miles (1,200 square kilometers) of forest in and around the Podkamennaya Tunguska River in what is now Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia.

More on asteroid 2012 DA14 here.

Featured image: NASA

Share:

Commenting rules and guidelines

We value the thoughts and opinions of our readers and welcome healthy discussions on our website. In order to maintain a respectful and positive community, we ask that all commenters follow these rules:

  • Treat others with kindness and respect.
  • Stay on topic and contribute to the conversation in a meaningful way.
  • Do not use abusive or hateful language.
  • Do not spam or promote unrelated products or services.
  • Do not post any personal information or content that is illegal, obscene, or otherwise inappropriate.

We reserve the right to remove any comments that violate these rules. By commenting on our website, you agree to abide by these guidelines. Thank you for helping to create a positive and welcoming environment for all.

14 Comments

  1. This is to Robert.
    Now what do you have to say about Asteroids or excuse me it entered Earth atmosphere so we call it a meteorite the one in Russia last night?
    No one even knew about it everyone kept its eyes on DA14.
    Never heard any rumors about seismic effect on the earth. I agree with you on that account. The rest I will leave open and play a wait and see attitude.
    All I am saying that there are things we don’t know with certainty, as this Russian meteor proved to us last night.For anyone to state that it will not take out Satellites or being reflected towards Earth is unscientific and total rubbish.
    No man can make such statement,and I am sure that is all you are.
    Only God could have the Answer,and if you believe the Bible you know there are very much more of these events coming in the very very near future. Its the End Game.

  2. Anybody been reading about the latest musings about seismic activity on passing asteroids?

    The images in last year’s La Sagra Sky Survey seem to show a tumbling asteroid — therefore its not a rubble pile asteroid as its gravity would be much too weak to hold it together if it were tumbling measurably. Thus I believe we’re looking at a solid rock passing by, and all this talk lately about seismic activity on a passing asteroid wont apply to this one… maybe if it were a much larger rubble pile asteroid, but not a 50 metre rock.

    As for a 50 metre rock hitting a satellite (unlikely with its south-north trajectory), the difference in mass would favour the asteroid greatly, and any debris (if) generated would tend to travel along with the rest of the asteroid past earth and out of harm’s way. Also being that its passing on the night side of the planet, although at a bit of a tilt to the Earth’s orbit, I would hazard to guess we should see a somewhat notable slingshot effect as Asteroid 2012 DA14 will be borrowing energy from the Earth’s orbital momentum and will actually leave the Earth-Moon system at a slightly higher speed than that which it had entered.

    It will be interesting to read the followups on this asteroid later.

  3. Thank you,very much the same I voiced on another Website,except you have way more details. I also compared the Asteroid to a speeding 7mmmMag. Bullet only faster,and I think we all know that a bullet of that speed will be deflected by the slightest resistance it meets a leaf,a fly ,yes even air currents.
    NASA’s predicted trajectory does not take hitting a Satellite into account.
    Deflection would likely be earth bound due to its Gravitational attraction.
    But I suppose we all know the answers by tomorrow.

    1. Just out of curiosity, have you ever Googled the word “Watchers”? Interesting that this is another name for angels – gives one a better understanding as to what angels are — definitely not those cherubs or humans with wings that artists of the middle ages had depicted. I don’t like graven images, statures, paintings or otherwise when it comes to faith as these interpretations can lead the people down all kinds of dead end roads.

      Peace.

  4. A DAY WILL COME SOON ENOUGH

    ALL THAT EVER LIVED ON EARTH WILL SOON HAVE THEIR EYES TO THE HEAVENS

    Do a little History on this one.

    ALL Should Look Up “2012 DA14”.

    This could take out one of more satellites and the junk and debris from the hit could end up taking out many more satellites very soon after that. All the satellite collision probability will go way up if even one is hit. The velocity that the parts would go to would make them missiles that would start targeting a chain reaction this would not be good.

    Most all will be watching this one and pray it goes by us without a hit. Every Scientist alive will be watching this event. Many will be in Florida for a very special viewing of the once in a Lifetime Event. Professors, Scientist, World Leaders, Ham Radio Operators and Every Astronomer will have its eyes on This Event, along with almost every TV set on Earth.

    “2012 DA14” goes by Earth twice a year and there is no way anyone for sure, can tell how close the second pass will be till it passes by the Moon and Earth and the GRAVITATIONAL FORCE effect that it will have on this Asteroid.

    They may come close but this one is already coming very close to begin with. Too close this time or on its second or 3rd pass? Ad a Meteor Shower like the 13 and 14 of December of 2012, it might go through or bump into one of them? Or all the other more then 20,00 pieces of orbital debris like Spent Rocket Boosters left in space that can no longer be moved by a control center on Earth. Or add a Solar Flare. Or a Comet ISON or its tail debris of millions of rocks of all sizes. Not to for get the 30,000+ pieces of space junk left from China in 2007 from showing the world it could shoot a decommissioned weather satellite in Space. Now add Asteroid 2013 BV15 into this on the 13 &14 of Feb 2013..

    Feb will have 12 of them from the 12 to the 16.

    If a big enough Asteroid were to slam into the moon in the night sky you would think the sun was coming up early only it would be 5 to 7 times as bright. From The Sun’s Rays Reflection on all the Debris Field.

    2012 XM16, 2012 XM55, 2012 XP55, THERE ARE OVER 25 found just in the year 2012 that are part of the Near Earth Object Program that will come close to Earth from now till 2012 DA14 comes, Feb 14 – 16, 2013.

    You do not want to know how many are on the “PLANETARY DEFENSE” list.
    The PLANETARY DEFENSE is not to protect Earth from men from Mars.
    It is for all mankind with most all Nation in on it to stop if can most all collision with EARTH from a ASTEROID IMPACT. It is if you will a AVOIDANCE SHIELD. “N.E.O.S. Near Earth Object Shield”.

    If only one were to hit or IMPACT EARTH on land get ready for a winter you will never forget. The winter from 1883 -1884 KRAKATOA you will think was a little pebble, and now the stone comes. Krakatoa was a great mountain till it erupted with fire and a blast heard thousands of miles away that cast that Great Mountain into the sea. The Shock Waves were felt around the Globe. The sea was full of Bodies from the Tsunamis more then 35,000 of them, the sea stayed red for weeks. 1884 was a year without a summer as the year 1816 was and many world wide Froze to Death.

    A Shock Wave was felt in England from a Event about 7:15 to 7:20 A.M. Siberia time in the morning in June of the year 1908 high in the sky above the Forest in the remote wilderness of Tunguska Siberia heard an explosion that laid flat more than 800 square miles of the forest with all the trees pointing away from the center of the blast with most all the trees laying on their side. Some trees that were right below the blast were still there looking like telephone poles with no bark or branches left on them. This Asteroid did not even hit the Ground and this is known by most as the TUNGUSKA EVENT. For all that lived there it was WORMWOOD Rev 8:11 the wood became full of worms and the rivers water no longer sweet and undrinkable.

    If a Meteor Shower is big enough you might think all the Stars are falling from Heaven.

    About one every 100 years makes it into the Earth’s Atmosphere big enough for all to take note. Some make it to the surface the signs are all over the Planet and moon from the ones that have.

    If you need a visual sign of a collided impact with a planet look to

    “SHOEMAKER – LEVY 9” July 1994.

    You Need More Look up “PROJECT WORMWOOD” Revelations 8: 10 – 11 based on the “TUNGUSKA EVENT” 1908

    MOSCOW Russia is now saying it will use missiles to intercept Asteroid if need be.

    Better to be safe then sorry.

    GET READY

    Read your Bible
    While you still can,
    and May our Lord GOD Bless all that do so.
    John 14 : 6
    Luke 13 : 27
    Matthew 7 : 20 – 27

    Matthew 12:39

    Matthew 24:3 – 14

    The Lord’s Little Helper.
    Paul Felix Schott.

    December 2013 the Heavens above COMET “C/2012 S1”, “ISON”.

    The day will come when

    ALL ON EARTH WILL SEE THIS NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE. the night side of earth will become day and and day will be blinding bright. The Bow Shock from the Photo Electric Effect from the Sun’s Solar Wind will really be something.

    Shortly there after you will think the stars are falling from the Heavens,

    REV 6:13,

    REV 16:21

    most will be between 60 to 80 pounds that will make it to the ground surface. Nonstop 12 to 14 hours at a time for two days.

    P.S.
    Help others in are Lord’s name Jesus Christ help bring all to know him while you still can.
    Three kings that were wise men once flowed a star with a long tail 2,000 years ago. That lead them to Jesus Christ wise men still look to and hear are Lord Jesus Christ.

Leave a Reply to Joe Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *