Asteroid 2012 KA to Buzz Earth on May 17
Orbit diagram of asteroid 2012 KA from JPL's Small Body Database website.
On the heels of a bus-sized asteroid that passed harmlessly between Earth and the orbit of the Moon on May 13, another asteroid between 4.5 and 10 meters (14-33 feet) wide will buzz by at about the same distance on May 17, 2012. Asteroid 2012 KA was discovered just today (May 16), and is projected to make its closest approach about 0.0015 AU, or 224,397 kilometers (134,933 miles, .6 lunar distances) from Earth’s surface at 19:43 UTC on Thursday. The asteroid was discovered by the Mt. Lemmon Observatory, and at the time of this writing, is the only observatory that has made any observations. Therefore JPL lists the uncertainty of the orbit as fairly high (9 out of a 1 to 10 scale) but orbital projections from JPL’s Small Body Database website confirms there is no chance this asteroid would hit Earth. However, most stony meteoroids up to a diameter of about 10-meters are destroyed in thermal explosions by plummeting through Earth’s atmosphere.
On May 17, 2012 there were 1287 potentially hazardous asteroids.
Notes: LD means "Lunar Distance." 1 LD = 384,401 km, the distance between Earth and the Moon. 1 LD also equals 0.00256 AU. MAG is the visual magnitude of the asteroid on the date of closest approach.
Here is the conversion from meters to feet 8 m = 26.2467 '
Some interesting reports from the American Meteor Society...
2012-05-13 Wichita, KS
I like watching satellites passing over head at Night. I was out around 4AM, looked up and saw a small green glow burn out directly overhead (NW to SE direction). A few minutes later I went out again, when I turned west I saw the much larger object off in the distance falling near vertical, Green at first then Orange and lighting up low clouds. Because I believed it was space Junk I didn't think much about it. It is not unusual in Kansas to see a Green glowing object fall back to earth. I checked the web and it brought me to this site. It was falling steeply vertical exploded very low to the Horizon, what I saw was low clouds light up with a orange glow. I thought it was space Junk and didn't attach that much importance to it. Several minutes earlier what appeared a small piece of copper (Green ) passed directly over me burning out like a shooting star. I had just written a piece on changing the economic system and regarded these events as signs acknowledging my work and place in the future. Because it was space junk I wasn't particularly impressed. Happened at night, was Green then turned Orange as it passed through and lit up low clouds.
2012-05-13 Wichita, KS
The greenish glow was unusual. The orange was very distinct in the explosion, which leads me to suspect it may have been space junk of some kind. The near vertical angle from my perspective was also worth noting. I'd wager it may have left debris, whatever it was some where south west of Wichita Kansas, with in 100 miles, and in a small area. The explosion was quite large as well, with arcing debris from the epicenter, very spectacular and I feel fortunate to have witnessed it being an amateur astronomer. The biggest and brightest I've ever seen. I'm currently searching for an all sky came here in Kansas to get a better look. I don't believe Lake Afton Observatory has one, but I will check. The other individual who saw it got a better view, and I will prompt him to make a report as well so we can better correlate our data. Just before the explosion, it brightened, then exploded into what seemed many orange pieces that spread out much like a flare in several directions, the green glow had gone, and it turned all orange. Not really a bright white flash as others I had witnessed, more of a yellowish flash. The greenish glow was unusual. The orange was very distinct in the explosion, which leads me to suspect it may have been space junk of some kind. The near vertical angle from my perspective was also worth noting. I'd wager it may have left debris, whatever it was some where south west of Wichita Kansas, with in 100 miles, and in a small area. The explosion was quite large as well, with arcing debris from the epicenter, very spectacular and I feel fortunate to have witnessed it being an amateur astronomer. The biggest and brightest I've ever seen. I'm currently searching for an all sky came here in Kansas to get a better look. I don't believe Lake Afton Observatory has one, but I will check. The other individual who saw it got a better view, and I will prompt him to make a report as well so we can better correlate our data.
2012-05-13 Doniphan, MO
I do not think it was a meteor but I am trying to find out what it was. It was a bright orange/red that fluctuated in intensity slightly, like a flame flickering. There was no wind so it was not anything floating with the wind. At first I thought it was a spotlight for incoming medivac helicopter, but as it passed the intensity stayed the same. It was not a spotlight. It did not blink like a plane and was brighter than a planes lights. It made no noise. The speed was similar to satelites I have seen pass, but it was much brighter. It faded and disappeared, like I have seen the ISS do as it passes into the Earths shadow. I checked the path of the ISS, wrong location in the sky and wrong direction of travel. I did not know where else to report this.
2012-05-13 Kenilworth, IL
I would love to know if these were indeed meteors. There were other cars who pulled aside to look at them. I saw 6 gold balls moving across the sky at a low altitude. The last ones were lit up very brightly on the inside and I don't remember the first ones as they had passed by before they were overhead.. They were moving in a line from east to west and disappeared as they moved west. It was dark and I saw no trail. I watched them for several minutes. A very extraordinary experience and I had no idea what I was seeing. The last one was about the size of a hot air balloon. I called the police dept. the next day and they told me it sounded like a meteor this man had seen at another time. It was amazing..
2012-05-13 SLC, UT
Strangely my friend Audrey and I saw a very simila r one about 4 or 5 years ago. It was exciting to see on as big as this again and with the same person! I love the chaos! ;-) The fireball traveled behind some trees to the south but was very strong still. There were small fragments trailing behind a much larger ball. Glowing train with fragments. Did not see the fireball go out as it passed behind trees and was very strong still at that point.
2012-05-14 Chesterton, IN
This was not a fire ball. I was Much bigger. At 11 :30pm central time I was sitting in my deck and my husband noticed something overhead. It was something I have never seen before. It was not a shooting star or a fireball but a very large object that traveled from south to north towards Lake Michigan. It was grey blue in color and had a halo and small tail. We watched it for 10 seconds and if I were to guess I would say it were an asteroid skimming our upper atmosphere. I was stunned at the size of it. Blue gray train not very long.
2012-05-14 bozeman, MT
I have not ever seen anything like that. Very brig ht! Very bright. I would have rated it as bright as the sun, but did not see the object long enough to make that call. I have not ever seen anything like that. Very bright! This object looked to be the size of an SUV. It came in very fast and I only caught the last part of it, but it was that large to be even reporting it. Very bright orange train wiht a smoke clowd that last a few seconds after the trail.This object looked like something was going to be left after the burn in. I would say, in the 4 corners area of Montana is where it may have landed.
2012-05-15 Downingtown, PA
I just saw this 20 minutes ago in Pennsylvania- th ere were about seven all in a perfectly straight row, flying against the wind. They just disappeared into a cloud. They were moving only slightly slower than a plane, but there was no sound at all. No train- It was just a line of glowing orange orbs (approximately 6-7), about a quarter of a mile apart from each other, moving in a perfectly straight line against the wind.
