Comments on: Asteroid Advisory Not Issued for Mars http://www.slackerastronomy.org/wordpress/2007/12/asteroid-advisory-not-issued-for-mars/ If you aren't going to care about something, may as well not care about astronomy Thu, 04 Dec 2008 01:11:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: bethkatz17582 http://www.slackerastronomy.org/wordpress/2007/12/asteroid-advisory-not-issued-for-mars/#comment-240931 bethkatz17582 Thu, 10 Jan 2008 18:23:03 +0000 http://www.slackerastronomy.org/wordpress/index.php/archive/asteroid-advisory-not-issued-for-mars/#comment-240931 After further review as described at http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news156.html as of 8 January 2008, there is a 1-in-10,000 chance that it will hit. I hope they get good pictures. If there had been a warning, it would now be reduced to a level 0 (no need to worry) or level 1 (may be interesting to view). After further review as described at http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news156.html as of 8 January 2008, there is a 1-in-10,000 chance that it will hit. I hope they get good pictures.

If there had been a warning, it would now be reduced to a level 0 (no need to worry) or level 1 (may be interesting to view).

]]> By: bethkatz17582 http://www.slackerastronomy.org/wordpress/2007/12/asteroid-advisory-not-issued-for-mars/#comment-222437 bethkatz17582 Mon, 24 Dec 2007 16:17:18 +0000 http://www.slackerastronomy.org/wordpress/index.php/archive/asteroid-advisory-not-issued-for-mars/#comment-222437 I'd hope that various planetary scientists are considering the possibilities. There aren't seismographs on the rovers. But this would dig a deep hole, and there could be good pictures of impact (if it happens) or as it's zipping by. I hope it doesn't raise too much dust and cover the rovers' solar panels. The rover science instruments are described at http://athena.cornell.edu/ but the news there is older. They probably won't get good pictures of 2007 WD5's approach because that is sunward from Mars. That's part of the problem with getting better orbit calculations. The geometry isn't good for observing the asteroid from Mars. But Earth's Moon will move out of the way from Earth's perspective. Scientists are lucky that the asteroid came by Earth before heading toward Mars so that it was noticed. If it were coming in from a different angle, they might not see it. By the way, I created the part about 100 sols in the first paragraph to mimic the tropical advisories. The Torino Impact advisories for Earth have decade timeframes and don't seem to address "It might happen next month." I’d hope that various planetary scientists are considering the possibilities. There aren’t seismographs on the rovers. But this would dig a deep hole, and there could be good pictures of impact (if it happens) or as it’s zipping by. I hope it doesn’t raise too much dust and cover the rovers’ solar panels.

The rover science instruments are described at http://athena.cornell.edu/ but the news there is older.

They probably won’t get good pictures of 2007 WD5’s approach because that is sunward from Mars. That’s part of the problem with getting better orbit calculations. The geometry isn’t good for observing the asteroid from Mars. But Earth’s Moon will move out of the way from Earth’s perspective.

Scientists are lucky that the asteroid came by Earth before heading toward Mars so that it was noticed. If it were coming in from a different angle, they might not see it.

By the way, I created the part about 100 sols in the first paragraph to mimic the tropical advisories. The Torino Impact advisories for Earth have decade timeframes and don’t seem to address “It might happen next month.”

]]> By: michael http://www.slackerastronomy.org/wordpress/2007/12/asteroid-advisory-not-issued-for-mars/#comment-222417 michael Mon, 24 Dec 2007 15:41:39 +0000 http://www.slackerastronomy.org/wordpress/index.php/archive/asteroid-advisory-not-issued-for-mars/#comment-222417 Good question, OptimusShr, that would be awesome. Good question, OptimusShr, that would be awesome.

]]> By: OptimusShr http://www.slackerastronomy.org/wordpress/2007/12/asteroid-advisory-not-issued-for-mars/#comment-221135 OptimusShr Sun, 23 Dec 2007 12:25:21 +0000 http://www.slackerastronomy.org/wordpress/index.php/archive/asteroid-advisory-not-issued-for-mars/#comment-221135 I wonder if Opportunity will be able to record the (possible) impact from its location. Would be nice research on impacts. especially on Mars. I wonder if Opportunity will be able to record the (possible) impact from its location. Would be nice research on impacts. especially on Mars.

]]>