Tecnologia

Can the asteroid hit Earth Friday in the future?
Day 12/2/2013 - 11:27 a.m.

 Scientists study the rotation of the rock and the gravitational effect that causes our planet at closest approach toknow what their trajectory in the coming years

NASA
Asteroid 2012 DA14 makes its closest approach to Earth on Friday
On Friday February 15 asteroid capture the attention of the world to make anapproach to Earth record. The 2012 rock DA14, about 45 feet, fly at a distance of 27,000 km, below even occupying orbit geostationary satellites. The collision is ruled out, but no other rock detectedin advance we had come so close. Scientists have a unique opportunity to learn about the features of this cosmic companion, but, above all, to calculate whether future visits can get really in danger. Could crashing against us in the future?
A research team used the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) and NASA telescopes to get a clue that will help to predict the future evolution of theasteroid, discovered last year from La Sagra Observatory in Granada. Scientists used a new technique of observation to determine how the rock is spinning as it accelerates in its orbit through thesolar system. As they explain, knowing the direction of their rotation is an important factor in predicting how it will change its orbit over time.
"Knowing the direction of rotation is essential toaccurately predict its future, and determine how close it will come close to Earth in the coming years," says Michael Busch, NRAO astronomer.
Busch's team used the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA)and the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) antennas at Pie Town and Los Alamos (New Mexico), along with a radar system at NASA's Goldstone, California. The Goldstone antenna transmit a powerful radio wavebeam to the asteroid, and the antennas of the NRAO in Mexico receive the reflected waves on the surface of the asteroid.
Due to the uneven surface of the rock, its different parts will have a...