Translated material
At night on Friday: where to watch how asteroid flies
On the evening of Friday February 15, a small asteroid under the DA14 number is once again getting closer to the ground. Not a single celestial body that astronomers can notice from afar, has yet passed so close to the surface of the planet: at the closest point, the distance will be 27,600 km. This is closer than geostationary satellites fly for communication and navigation (about 36 thousand km). Usually they already say about such distances "at an altitude of so many kilometers."
The diameter of the asteroid is 45 m, it weighs from 130 thousand to 190 thousand tons, and at the moment when it whistles past our companions, even amateur astronomers from the good half of the planet will clearly be seen. True, it will not be easy to cut through the telescope - it flies very quickly: at a speed of about 31 km/s. So you have to make a video. However, far from cities in clear weather, there is every chance to see him even in binoculars. So get out of the cottage, if there is time, or on the roof - will you suddenly be lucky?
If you freeze reluctantly, you can look at DA14 in live broadcasts.
Here is the channel of the Clay Observatory . They will show an asteroid when he will fly over the states. This is especially interesting, because Astrosqueptics believe that there is some probability of body falling precisely in the United States. Here the broadcast will begin 3.00 Moscow time.
Live Video from Your Android Device on Ustream
But the special NASA channel to observe an asteroid, there they show something all the time, we must catch the moment.
Free Desktop Streaming Application by Ustream
Here, on the NASA TV channel, the agency promises not only to show the picture, but also to comment.
Photos DA14 taken this week can be seen here .
Read also:
NASA new mission: Learn asteroids →
Deep Space Industries: Asteroid flying past the Earth costs $ 195 billion →
What disasters are waiting for Russia and the world in 2013 →