2.7 km asteroid to fly by Earth today

[PaleoGamer]

No danger to us; it's almost 6 million km away at closest approach, but still interesting.

The interesting thing is that this one seems to have a tiny moon of its own orbiting it.

http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2013/30may_asteroidflyby/

[Peenvogel]

<...> 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. <...>

I keep an eye out.

[hugix]

I love the fact that is has a tiny little lovable moon with it!

[Spaceisbeautifulul]

May 3rd? Oh gosh, I gotta call my neighbor with the big telescopes.

Can anyone tell me if it will look interesting from a telescope? This could be a once in a lifetime opportunity. If so, could you also give me a chart or something of where to look in the sky? I can't find anything on Google.

Edited June 1, 2013 by Spaceisbeautifulul

[SuperFastJellyfish]

May 3rd? Oh gosh, I gotta call my neighbor with the big telescopes.

Can anyone tell me if it will look interesting from a telescope? This could be a once in a lifetime opportunity. If so, could you also give me a chart or something of where to look in the sky? I can't find anything on Google.

I think they said on NASA's website that it'll look like a 11th magnitude star at it's closest. So, not really much to see unless you want to track it's movement through the sky over a chunk of time.

[Spaceisbeautifulul]

Alrighties, I'm going out of town with my neighbor and some other people with telescopes to look at that and Jupiter and some other stuffs.

[Kerbface]

Close to Earth? WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!

Oh wait, this is a science forum. How cool is it that it has a moon? Didn't even know something that small could have a moon.

[grawl]

It's not a moon, it's the Magic Boulder !

I'm looking forward to the pictures of the surface of the asteroid !

[Spaceisbeautifulul]

-snip-

Oh wait, this is a science forum. How cool is it that it has a moon? Didn't even know something that small could have a moon.

Yes, anything in deep space with no significant gravity interference can have a moon. In fact, if you were out there, you might have a couple moons for yourself. (I'm talking about some place like the Oort Cloud.)

[Kerbface]

Yes, anything in deep space with no significant gravity interference can have a moon. In fact, if you were out there, you might have a couple moons for yourself. (I'm talking about some place like the Oort Cloud.)

My gravitational pull would have to be insanely weak, though, a speck of dust orbiting me at 2m away would probably have, what, 1 orbit per year?