Asteroid 2012 DA14 is getting bigger and bigger. WTF?

Im not sure, ima dummee...was hoping you could tell me.
What are they or you basing the figures of speed on now?
Thought id read somewhere it was traveling around 17000 some odd/even mph.
How is that determined?
What if its wrong?
Effect things?
Don't affect things?

Is it or is it not all theoretical in the end? Even right down to where our methods for figuring these equations come from?
I've always been curious this...

This!

Anyone who understands the least little bit about gravity knows that they accelerate at the same rate.





No it wouldn't except in woowooland.
Do you know the difference between weight and mass?



(sigh)
Basic High School Physics for those that missed it:

Force:
#1) F = ma
#2) F = GMm/r^2
where: a = acceleration due to gravity of the masses
G = a constant of proportionality.
r = distance between the masses
M = Primary mass (the Earth in this case)
m = Secondary mass (the asteroid in this case)

Using the concept that M>>>>>m (the mass of Earth is much, much greater than the mass of the asteroid)
Set #1 & #2 equal:
ma = GMm/r^2
Find the acceleration of the asteroid, m:
divide both sides by m:
#3) a = GM/r^2
It is now clear that the acceleration due to gravity on the asteroid m is independent of its mass m since m cancels out.
It is only dependent on the mass of the Primary (Earth) M and the distance between the two masses r.
The mass of the asteroid is not even in equation #3 for its acceleration in the gravitational field, therefore the rate at which it falls toward the earth does not depend on its mass.



Where the mass of the asteroid does have an effect is in r.
r is actually the distance of each mass from the center-of-mass of the system (barycenter).
The Earth masses at ~6.00xE^24 kg.
If the asteroid massed at 1 Billion tonnes then its mass = 1.0xE^12 kg
(This would be the mass of a 230m asteroid made of pure gold.)
(If DA14 is 70meters and stoney then its mass is ~500000 tonnes; much, much less than a billion)

The center-of-mass of the system is:
6E^24/(6E^24 + 1E^12) = 99.99999999998333333333333% of the center-to-center value of r.

Therefore, an asteroid with a mass of 1 Billion metric tonnes compared to an asteroid with 0 tonnes mass would only induce an error of:
1 - (0.9999999999998333333333333)^2 = 3.333333333333722222222222e-11%
= 0.00000000003333333333333722222222222%
Three-hundred-billionths of one percent error.

Understand why mass is inconsequential unless the object is a substantial fraction of the mass of the system?
Probably not, but that won't deter you from arguing from ignorance against scientists who learned this in 11th grade and have since gone on to university to get Ph.D.s.
ergo - Arrogant Ignorance.

Class dismissed.
Next...
Remedial Reading For Comprehension.


R.

If you magically replaced the Earth with a bowling ball, would its orbit change?

What part of the planet will it be closer to at it's closest approach?

What time is this supposed to go by us? (I'm in central time zone.)

I think it's 7:24 pm our time so that's about 2:30 pm ET.

My computer is too slow to google at the moment.

[link to neo.jpl.nasa.gov]

NASA seems to have pulled down their page on 2012 DA14's impact risks only about an hour ago.. What is the actual impact risk of tomorrow's flyby? All I've read is "zero chance" and "near-zero chance". What is the actual percentage?

Also the increase in size does seem weird.. Does this normally happen with other newly discovered asteroids as they approach near earth? I understand that I've been told that 'the numbers' mention that there is no/near impossible chance of impact. However, this is still the first event of this kind (closest, largest) to be observed with the technology we've developed in recent history.

So, you re saying that the mass of the earth (and the moon)is perfectly known (must be), in order to calculate the exact effect on a unknown (tiny) mass of an object. And the way to calculate that perfect number is the same formula you are quoting to determinate the effect of that mass, with a constant G, calculated about 250 years ago, and accepted as standard way to set the earth mass about 50 years ago. So pretty circular mathematical and tautological phd bullshit. Im not saying the thing will hit, far from that, but the arrogance of the so called experts is annoying to say the least. You can´t even see the light of the stars in space, so how can you say a formula established on earth works in a different, very different enviroment??

Thank you!

[link to neo.jpl.nasa.gov]

NASA seems to have pulled down their page on 2012 DA14's impact risks only about an hour ago.. What is the actual impact risk of tomorrow's flyby? All I've read is "zero chance" and "near-zero chance". What is the actual percentage?

Also the increase in size does seem weird.. Does this normally happen with other newly discovered asteroids as they approach near earth? I understand that I've been told that 'the numbers' mention that there is no/near impossible chance of impact. However, this is still the first event of this kind (closest, largest) to be observed with the technology we've developed in recent history.

at one point it was 1 in 3300 but i dont know what it is now

looooool if this is true, guess what the odds of making a royal flush at the poker table is?

[link to stereo.gsfc.nasa.gov]

That is supposed to be Mercury.

the risk data is still on the wiki for now:
[link to en.wikipedia.org]

What part of the planet will it be closer to at it's closest approach?

[link to neo.jpl.nasa.gov]

NASA seems to have pulled down their page on 2012 DA14's impact risks only about an hour ago..

I thought they took it down a while ago actually. They always do that for asteroids whose risk of impact in the foreseeable future (~100 years) is eliminated. There is no risk of impact on Friday and thanks to the latest astrometric data, there's no risk of impact in our lifetimes.

What part of the planet will it be closer to at it's closest approach?

Evidence?

I thought they took it down a while ago actually. They always do that for asteroids whose risk of impact in the foreseeable future (~100 years) is eliminated. There is no risk of impact on Friday and thanks to the latest astrometric data, there's no risk of impact in our lifetimes.

I thought they took it down a while ago actually. They always do that for asteroids whose risk of impact in the foreseeable future (~100 years) is eliminated. There is no risk of impact on Friday and thanks to the latest astrometric data, there's no risk of impact in our lifetimes.