Huge asteroid just discovered -- makes close approach June 14

The primary distinction between comet and asteroid surfaces is that electrical arcing and “electrostatic cleaning” of the comet nucleus will leave little or no dust or debris on the surface during the active phase, even if a shallow layer of dust may be attracted back to the nucleus electrostatically as the comet becomes dormant in its retreat to more remote regions.

The comet spends most of its time far from the Sun, where the plasma voltage is low relative to the Sun.

In remote regions, the comet moves slowly and its charge easily comes into balance with its surroundings. But as the comet falls toward the Sun, it begins to move at a furious speed through regions of increasing voltage. The comet’s charge, developed in deep space, responds to the new environment by increasing internal electric polarization and by forming cathode jets and a visible plasma sheath, or coma.

5,000,000+ km away is NOT 'close'

0.0363 AU = 14.127 LD ...

This one will not hit Earth. But makes you wonder about finding in just days before, when the direction could as just as easily been right at us.

probably someday but not this one

so why the misleading title? your real name drudge or something? j/k

i know you're doing research but exaggerating does not help your cause.

The title is perfectly accurate. What is misleading about it?

I understand why NASA cannot spot some of the smaller asteroids, reporting there existence at the last minute, or even after they pass. But new asteroid 2012 LZ1 is 300 to 670 meters, was first observed June 10 and was just added to JPL database overnight.
Next close approach is

2012-Jun-14 -- 23:08 -- 0.0363 AU

This brings the number of NEOs making close approaches June 14 from 6 to 7, which went from 5 to 6 yesterday with discovery of a different one. This high NEO count and daily averages indicate an even higher chance of a significant earthquake within a day of June 15 as shown on this updated chart:


Here's the June 14-15-16 earthquake watch already posted:
Thread: EARTHQUAKE WATCH: Magnitude 6.5+ within a day of June 15, 2012

Here's more info on how asteroids seem to influence quakes:
Thread: AMAZING new discovery... earthquakes influenced by asteroids!

Unusually large asteroid to race by Earth

AN asteroid the size of a city block discovered by astronomers in Canberra will zoom past Earth but poses no risk of a collision.
The "unusually large" asteroid will not be visible to the naked eye, but asteroid enthusiasts may watch it pass by during a live online broadcast, said Patrick Paolucci, president of the skywatchers' site, Slooh.
NASA has already catalogued 9000 such Near-Earth Objects, but astronomers are always on the lookout for new ones.
"Once in awhile one will come out of nowhere like this one, which is actually pretty big," Mr Paolucci said.
"We were like, 'Wow, we should track this one'."
The asteroid, named 2012 LZ1, is thought to be about 500 metres wide, and is expected to pass within 14 times the Moon's distance from the Earth.
The massive object was discovered just days ago by Scottish-Australian astronomer Rob McNaught and colleagues at the Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics of the Australian National University.
The asteroid qualifies as a Near-Earth Object because of its size and proximity - more than 152 metres wide and within a distance of 7.5 million kilometres from Earth.
Mr Paolucci said the asteroid's fly-by would be covered in real-time with footage from an observatory in the Canary Islands at Slooh.com beginning at 10am (AEST) today.
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[link to www.news.com.au]


Where is Truthworker. She missed this one.