200-400 ft. Asteroid to Flyby Earth at 0.5 LD Tonight - Eyes On The Skies

Asteroid 2010 WC9 will pass at about half the moon’s distance, in one of the closest approaches ever observed of an asteroid of this size.

Estimates of its size range from 197 to 427 feet (60-130 meters).

During the 2018 return, closest approach of asteroid 2010 WC9 will happen on May 15 at 22:05 UTC (6:05 pm EDT. At that time, the asteroid will be 0.53 lunar-distances from Earth (126,419 miles or 203,453 km from Earth).

According to orbit calculations made by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the May 15 close approach is the closest of this particular asteroid in nearly 300 years.

Asteroid 2010 WC9 is an Apollo type space rock. At no time will it be visible to the eye as it sweeps past Earth. It might get as bright as magnitude +11, which would make it bright enough to be seen in amateur telescopes pointed at the correct location and time.

Asteroid 2010 WC9 is travelling though space at a speed of 28,655 miles per hour (46,116 km/h).

earthsky.com
Read more here: http://earthsky.org/space/lost-asteroid-to-pass-closely-may-15
https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=2010%20WC9&orb=1
https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/db_search/show_object?object_id=2010+wc9&commit=Show

Northolt Branch Observatories are planning to broadcast this asteroid live to their Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/NBObservatories/

Clips, images credit: ESO, ESA.HUBBLE & NASA/JPL

Music credit: YouTube Audio Library