A thirty-meter-diameter asteroid is going to pass within twenty-five thousand miles of the planet this afternoon (America time).

That is very close--about a fifth of the distance to the moon and well inside its orbit. A few thousand miles lower, and it could take out a geostationary satellite. If it were to hit land, it might leave a scar something like this.

And of course, like all bad things that happen, it will be Bush's fault.

I took the picture Tuesday on a flight from Fort Lauderdale to LA, over Winslow, Arizona. The crater is almost a mile in diameter and about a two and a half miles in circumference. When it hit, back during the Pleistocene, it probably wiped out all life for many miles around. You can read more about it here.

Just another reminder that we have to start paying attention to these things.

[Update at 1:20 PM PST]

Clayton Cramer has more details.

Pity we're not in a position to capture it:-(.

Apparently not as big as the Tunguska event asteroid. Close enough, though, to provoke real worry.

The view looks really creepy when you take on a 2004-FH view through Starry Night. The Earth looks mighty big...

Way, way, WAY too close. I'd like to know how firm the size estimate was, also if they can determine density. Usually I look at these reports and just go "Eh, not that close, but a good reason for better monitoring." This one made me feel distinctly uncomfortable.

Shoot! Just a hair closer and a slightly different inclination would've been "better". Like have it plow through a good swath of GEO. Cause substantial disruption and economic loss, but not too much and with no risk to life/limb, AND boost the appetite for launch capacity, PLUS serve as a meaningful 'shot across our bow'.

Oh, did I think that out loud?? ;-)

- Eric.

It would have been nice, but there's a lot of room out there. It would have had to have been at just the right point at just the right time. The rock has about a 100 foot diameter, a 'sat under ten feet, both moving FAST. Imagine two boats about these sizes on the Pacific ocean, assume their paths will cross at some point, but are initially separated by thousands of miles. Now expand the size of the planet by about a factor of three, and look at it again. Increase the relative velocity greatly so the time window for an intersection goes down. Now you STILL have a much better chance for a hit than what actualy happened.

The thing is, the Earth is a much bigger target.