Halloween asteroid will return in 2018

Halloween asteroid will return in 2018

Artistic interpretation of asteroid 2015 TB145, resembling a human skull in certain conditions

In 2018, the asteroid 2015 TB145, which arrived earlier on Halloween in 2015, is expected to return. This dark object is drawn out to 625-700 m, and the rotation period lasts about 3 hours. Under some lighting conditions, it resembles a human skull.

On the last arrival, he approached Earth at 486,000 km. He was noticed on October 10 in the Pan-STARRS telescope (Hawaii). It refers to near-earth asteroids. It was analyzed both in visible light and in the infrared range.

A survey from Spain showed that the most likely period of rotation reaches 2.94 hours. Observations from the Very Large Telescope provided information on thermal radiation. The shape is slightly flattened ellipsoid, and the axis of rotation is approximately perpendicular to the Earth at the moment of greatest proximity. The reflectivity is 5-6% (slightly more reflective than charcoal).

Next approach: November 2018

The data obtained suggests that the next approach to the Earth should be expected in November 2018. But this time he will fly much further. It is now distant from us at 3.7 a. e., and its value - 26.5.

However, the most exciting meeting can be captured on Halloween in 2088, when an asteroid flies to us for 20 lunar distances. In 2027, it will be possible to look at a close approach 137108 (1999 AN10).

There is an assumption that the asteroid is a dead comet that lost its volatile compounds after repeated passage past the Sun. Regardless of the type of object, we were able to study the cosmic body, which appeared 4,600 million years ago.

Comments (0)
Search