Big Asteroid Flyby   
       
   May 30, 2013: Here we go again. Another asteroid is paying a visit to the   
   Earth-Moon system.   
       
   Asteroids have been a hot topic since February 15th  when one small asteroid   
   exploded over Russia and another larger one, 2012 DA14, made a record setting   
   close approach to Earth on the same day. This time the interloper is 1998 QE2,   
   a potentially hazardous asteroid 2.7 km in diameter.  Astronomers are   
   preparing to study the space rock as it harmlessly passes by on May 31st.   
       
   "This is a big asteroid that's going to be one of the best radar imaging   
   targets of the year," says Lance Benner of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.   
       
   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssYnC90U0mM   
       
   A new ScienceCast video previews the near-Earth flyby of massive asteroid 1998   
   QE2. Play it   
       
   "As my old friend, radar astronomer Steve Ostro used to say, spaceship Earth   
   is making a flyby of the asteroid, so we're going to exploit the capabilities   
   of the radars to understand as much as possible."   
       
   At closest approach on May 31st, the asteroid will be 5.8 million kilometers   
   from Earth, about 15 times farther than the Moon.   
       
   "At that range, both the Goldstone and Arecibo radars should be able to make   
   detailed images of 1998 QE2," says Benner. "The radar maps should rival images   
   of other asteroids obtained by spacecraft during flyby missions."   
       
   http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2013/30may_asteroidmoon/   
       
   On May 30th, NASA's Goldstone radar detected a moon orbiting asteroid 1998   
   QE2. MoreOne thing that intrigues Benner is the asteroid's dark complexion.   
   According to measurements by the Spitzer Space Telescope, 1998 QE2 reflects   
   only 6% of the sunlight that falls on it, which makes it blacker than coal.   
   "Consequently, it could have a composition similar to that of 101955 Bennu,   
   the target of NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission," he says.   
       
   Due to launch in 2016, the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft will travel to near-Earth   
   asteroid Bennu, study it from orbit, and ultimately bring back a sample for   
   laboratory study on Earth. Near-Earth asteroid Bennu interests researchers for   
   two reasons:  First, it is a carbon-rich asteroid that could harbor amino   
   acids and other organic molecules essential to primitive life. Second, it's   
   the kind of asteroid that NASA ultimately might want to capture. Indeed, the   
   OSIRIS-REx mission is considered to be a vital part of NASA's plans to find,   
   study and relocate an asteroid for exploration by astronauts.   
       
   Perhaps 1998 QE2 will give researchers a sneak preview of this fascinating   
   space rock.   
       
   Although the closest approach is on May 31st, the best time to observe 1998   
   QE2 will be during the first week of June when the asteroid enters northern   
   skies. At that time, its sunlit side will face Earth, making it an easy target   
   for large backyard telescopes.  At maximum brightness on June 3rd and 4th it   
   is expected to glow like an 11th magnitude star.   
       
   While amateur astronomers watch the space rock glide through the   
   constellations Libra and Ophiuchus, NASA radars will be pinging the space rock   
   with powerful bursts of radio energy, revealing an alien landscape that no one   
   has ever seen before.   
       
   Stay tuned for updates.   
       
   Credits:   
       
   Author: Dr. Tony Phillips | Production editor: Dr. Tony Phillips | Credit:   
   Science@NASA   
       
   More information about asteroids and near-Earth objects is available at:   
   http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/ , http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/asteroidwatch and via   
   Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/asteroidwatch .   
       
   More information about asteroid radar research is at: http://echo.jpl.nasa.gov/   
       
       
   Regards,   
       
   Roger   
      
   --- D'Bridge 3.94   
    * Origin: NCS BBS - Houma, LoUiSiAna (1:3828/7)