See the Asteroid That Came Close to Earth

2 minute read

Astronauts and scientists kicked off the inaugural celebration of Asteroid Day with a talk on asteroid hunting and a live telescope view of the asteroid that passed within 5 million miles of Earth two weeks ago.

Journalist Will Gater, astronomer Bob Berman, astronaut Richard Garriott, and documentary producer Duncan Copp all took part in the talk—a debate on whether or not the Earth is prepared to defend itself against the potential hazard of a major asteroid. The discussion, hosted by Slooh Community Observatory, also included live footage of the most recent near Earth object: Icarus, an asteroid slightly over a half-a-mile long that passed by June 16.

According to Berman, asteroids are worth the hype. “Planets can’t hit us, while comet debris doesn’t survive to strike our surface. But asteroids — chunks of stone or metal — ­­arrive by the thousands every day, and are responsible for nearly all of the 50,000 catalogued meteorites,” he said in a statement to the press. “The largest asteroids are fascinating to observe, while the hazardous ones need to be watched while defenses are being conceived.”

U.S. agencies are already onto this concern—NASA and the National Nuclear Security Administration announced a new deal on June 17 to cooperate in tracking and defending against asteroids.

See Impact Craters On Earth From Space

Shoemaker Impact Structure Australia
The Shoemaker Impact Structure in Australia (previously referred to as Teague Ring and renamed in honor of the late geologist Eugene Shoemaker). The precise age of the impact is unknown, but it is estimated between 1000 and 600 million years ago. The structure is 30 km in diameter.NASA/GSFC/METI/Japan Space Systems/U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team
Gosses Bluff Meteor Impact Crater, Northern Territory, Australia, True Colour Satellite Image
Gosses Bluff impact structure in Northern Territory, Australia. It has a diameter of 22 km.UIG/Getty Images
Barringer impact structure meteor crater Arizona
Barringer impact structure (also known as Meteor Crater) in Arizona. It is 49,000 years old and has a diameter of 1186 km.Getty Images
Barringer Meteor Impact Crater, Arizona, Usa, True Colour Satellite Image
Barringer impact structure (also known as Meteor Crater) in Arizona. It is 49,000 years old and has a diameter of 1186 km.UIG/Getty Images
Acraman Meteor Impact Crater, Australia, True Colour Satellite Image
The Acraman impact structure in Australia. It is 570 million years old and has a diameter of 160 km.UIG/Getty Images
Manicouagan Impact Structure
Manicouagan Impact Structure in Quebec. It is roughly 213-215 million years old and has a diameter of approximately 100 km.Manicouagan Impact Structure, Quebec, Canada Sensor: L7 ETM+ Path/Row: 13/24 Lat/Long: 51.400/-68.738 Category: Land Features
Clearwater Meteor Impact Crater, Canada, True Colour Satellite Image
The Clearwater Lakes impact structures. They are 270 to 310 million years old with diameters of both craters of 32 km and 22 km.UIG/Getty Images
Vredefort Meteor Impact Crate
Vredefort Meteor Impact Crater in South Africa. It is roughly four billion years old and is the largest verified impact crater on Earth, estimated to be more than 300 km across when it was formed.Planet Observer/UIG/Getty Images
Wanapitei Lake Meteor Impact Crater satellite
Wanapitei Lake Meteor Impact Crater in Manitoba. It is approximately 37.2 million years old and has a diameter of 8.4 km.Planet Observer/UIG/Getty Images
Lonar Meteor Impact Crater, India, True Colour Satellite Image
The Lonar impact structure in India. It has a diameter of 1.83 km.UIG/Getty Images
Oasis crater libya satellite
The Oasis crater North of Koufra Oasis in Libya. It is less than 120 million years old and was thought to have a diameter of roughly 18 km post-impact.Planet Observer/UIG/Getty Images
Roter Kamm meteorite crater satellite
Roter Kamm meteorite crater in the Namibian section of the Namib Desert. It is estimated to be between 4 and 5 million years old and has a diameter of 2.5 km.NASA/GSFC/METI/Japan Space Systems/U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team
Spider Impact Crater Satellite
Spider Crater in the Kimberley Region of northern Western Australia.Jesse Allen/NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS/ U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team
Aorounga Meteor Impact Crater, Chad, True Colour Satellite Image
The Aorounga impact structure in Chad. It is 200 million years old and has a diameter of 17 km.UniversalImagesGroup—UIG via Getty Images
Tenoumer Crater, Mauritania, True Colour Satellite Image
The Tenoumer meteor crater in Mauritania. It is 2.5 million years old and has a diameter of 1.9 km.UIG/Getty Images
Chesapeake Bay Meteor Impact Crater satellite
Chesapeake Bay Meteor Impact Crater in Virginia. It is approximately 35 million years old and is thought to have had a diameter of about 40 km post-impact.Planet Observer/UIG/Getty Images

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