Incoming roids with an Apoapsis

[Random Tank]

So, I know you can have a roid that spawns in Kerbin's SoI in an orbit; or one can have a Periapsis in Kerbin's atmosphere (and if you manage to get it in render range) which means it can aerobrake to make an apoapsis.

But how does it work when neither of these happen?

I is confused... I thought just gravity isn't enough to stop enough of the roids momentum to put it into an orbit... How?

[Tank Buddy]

It's a rounding error, the asteroid will escape.

[Random Tank]

Sure? I'm gonna warp just to check

EDIT: Dammit, you were right; No offence, but I wish you had been wrong!

Its orbit keeps changing every time I warp to intercept though; First time it was a peri of 7Mm, then 200km, then 15Mm... weird

Edited April 22, 2014 by Random Tank
I wish i was right :(

[KNSA Scientist]

If a moon interacts with it, it could either lose velocity or gain velocity depending on whether it went retrograde to the moon or prograde.

[Random Tank]

If a moon interacts with it, it could either lose velocity or gain velocity depending on whether it went retrograde to the moon or prograde.

Good point; has anyone had this? A gravity assist from the Mun that flings a roid into Kerbin orbit? I imagine this is super-rare....

[Cydonian Monk]

Good point; has anyone had this? A gravity assist from the Mun that flings a roid into Kerbin orbit? I imagine this is super-rare....

I've seen it. Problem was the resulting orbit was unstable, with a periapsis around 20k. The asteroid despawned afterwards. Had it made it into a "stable" orbit it would still have had an encounter with the Mun some time in the future anyway, which would likely have ejected it or eaten it.

[Col_Jessep]

Yup, that would be rare indeed. I had an asteroid turn from near miss to impactor due to rounding errors though.

[Brun]

Incoming roids

Time to name my next Asteroid Tug Preparation H.

[KerbMav]

Yup, that would be rare indeed. I had an asteroid turn from near miss to impactor due to rounding errors though.

I thought 23.5. fixed such behaviour (as jittering AP/PE markers on almost circular orbits)?

The asteroids I started tracking right after patching the game also changed their orbits at Kerbin - so, launching interceptors weeks in advance is not as clever as I would have liked to think it is?

Also although I untracked all but two of them, the game has not generated any new ones ...

[Dooz]

Rounding Errors I have never Even Heard of them It will be Captured It happened to me before