Creepy skull-shaped asteroid to pass by Earth for sequel flyby
- 6 years ago
SPACE — Earth will be having another spooky encounter with a 'death comet' that first swung by our planet three Halloweens ago.
Spain's agencia SINC reports that asteroid 2015 TB145 is a skull-like space rock that came within 310,000 miles of Earth on October 31, 2015.
Dubbed 'The Great Pumpkin' by NASA due to its Halloween flyby, the asteroid is set to once again pass by our planet on November 11, 2018, but at a much farther distance of 24 million miles.
Observations during the first flyby indicate that the asteroid most likely completes a rotation in 2.94 hours, and reflects only 5 to 6% of sunlight, making it just slightly more reflective than charcoal.
Astronomers think the asteroid may be an extinct comet that lost its water and other volatile compounds after numerous orbits around the sun.
Though the second approach may not be as favorable as the first in terms of distance, scientists say they will still be able to observe and obtain new data on the spooky space rock.
Spain's agencia SINC reports that asteroid 2015 TB145 is a skull-like space rock that came within 310,000 miles of Earth on October 31, 2015.
Dubbed 'The Great Pumpkin' by NASA due to its Halloween flyby, the asteroid is set to once again pass by our planet on November 11, 2018, but at a much farther distance of 24 million miles.
Observations during the first flyby indicate that the asteroid most likely completes a rotation in 2.94 hours, and reflects only 5 to 6% of sunlight, making it just slightly more reflective than charcoal.
Astronomers think the asteroid may be an extinct comet that lost its water and other volatile compounds after numerous orbits around the sun.
Though the second approach may not be as favorable as the first in terms of distance, scientists say they will still be able to observe and obtain new data on the spooky space rock.