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Second Fastest Spinning Asteroid Sailed Past Earth

Magdalena Ridge Observatory

A ten-foot asteroid sailed past earth on November 16. It was small, yes, but asteroid 2010 WA, as it is called, is the second fastest-spinning asteroid seen through the Magdalena Ridge Observatory’s telescope. It rotated every 31 seconds, which is the next fastest rotation rate of an asteroid, second to asteroid 2010 JL88. The Magdalena Ridge Observatory’s telescope provides great visibility and resolution of images it takes. Because of this, detecting and tracking near-earth objects (NEOs) and satellites is easy.

The Relevance of Asteroids to Us

Studying asteroids will provide us with information on the origin of the solar system, because they consist of matter similar to the planets in the solar system. Some asteroids have compositions more primitive from earth’s, which might give us a clue and an insight regarding life’s origins from non-living organic matter. Asteroids yield metals, such as nickel-iron metals and platinum group metals. Earth’s operating mining sites yield platinum metals with a grade of 5 to 10 grams per ton. Asteroid platinum metals, on the other hand, have a grade of 100 grams per ton. Were asteroids ever to strike earth, changing its trajectory would prevent it. Asteroid ‘Apophis’, which is the size of two football fields, is set to move past earth on the 13th of April 2036 as close as 18,300 miles upon the planet’s surface.

United States’ National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Operation: Plymouth Rock

Improving and protecting life on earth is one of National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s missions. United States’ President Barrack Obama’s outline of his plans for the space agency consist of reaching near-earth asteroids, the lunar orbit, Mar’s moons, and the planet Mars, itself. Dubbed as Operation: Plymouth Rock, the space agency would like to send astronauts to near-earth asteroids via the Orion spacecraft. The Orion spacecraft is a five-meter, twenty-one thousand seven hundred pounds wide capsule, capable of holding four astronauts on flights to the International Space Station, when changing crew, and to Moon expeditions. The space agency has spent $3.1 billion dollars on developing the spacecraft. Its landing parachutes still need to be checked for safety and efficiency. At its current weight, it is three hundred pounds heavier than it is supposed to be. The final critical review of the spacecraft’s design is targeted around 2011 or so, when the space agency will begin flight hardware construction.

References:

http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/5-reasons-care-about-asteroids-100611.html

http://www.space.com/news/obama-nasa-asteroid-mission-100416.html

December 20, 2010 - Posted by sullivanwyatt | New, News, Science & Technology | Asteroid 2010 JL88, Asteroid 2010 WA, Asteroids, Magdalena Ridge Observatory, Magdalena Ridge Observatory Telescope, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Near-Earth Asteroids, Operation: Plymouth Rock, Orion Spacecraft, Second Fastest Spinning Asteroid Sailed Past Earth, The Relevance of Asteroids to Us