Topic: Near Earth Object Observation Program

NASA’s Goldstone Radar tracks Huge Asteroid as it passes by Earth

December 13, 2012 |

Written by Dr. Tony Phillips
Science at NASA

Washington, D.C. – This week, NASA’s Goldstone radar is tracking a large asteroid as it passes by Earth, and obtaining images of unprecedented clarity.

“At closest approach on December 12th, asteroid 4179 Toutatis will be 7 million km away or 18 times farther than the Moon,” says Lance Benner of NASA’s Near Earth Object Program. “There is no danger of a collision with Earth,” but the asteroid will be close enough for radar imaging.

A sampling of Goldstone radar images obtained during the asteroid Toutatis’s December 2012 flyby.

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NASA’s Deep Space Network antenna takes radar images of near Earth Asteroid

November 27, 2012 |

Written by DC Agle
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Pasadena, CA – A collage shows nine radar images of near-Earth asteroid 2007 PA8 that were obtained between October 31st and November 13th, 2012, with data collected by NASA’s 230-foot-wide (70-meter) Deep Space Network antenna at Goldstone, CA.

On November 5th at 8:42am PST (11:42am EST/16:42 UTC), the object came about 4 million miles (6.5 million kilometers) from Earth, or 17 times the distance between Earth and the moon.

Nine new radar images of near-Earth asteroid 2012 PA8 were obtained between October 31st and November 13th, 2012, with data collected by NASA’s 230-foot-wide (70-meter) Deep Space Network antenna at Goldstone, CA. (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)

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NASA Researchers anticipate that Asteroid 2011 AG5 will not impact Earth

June 16, 2012 |

Written by Dwayne Brown
NASA Headquarters

Washington, D.C. – Researchers anticipate that asteroid 2011 AG5, discovered in January 2011, will fly safely past and not impact Earth in 2040.

Current findings and analysis data were reported at a May 29th workshop at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD, attended by scientists and engineers from around the world. Discussions focused on observations of potentially hazardous asteroids (PHAs).

Orbit and current location (6/15/2012) of asteroid 2011 AG5. (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)

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