Toutatis, again!
The potentially hazardous asteroid (4179) Toutatis is still bright, while on its way back, after the 12 Dec. close encounter with the Earth. The Virtual Telescope was observing it and captured the image above, remotely...
Category: near Earth
Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (99942) Apophis: live observations
With no doubts, the most famous potentially hazardous asteroid known to date is (99942) Apophis. Discovered in 2004, it showed a very interesting orbit, bringing it very close to our planet. On Apr. 2029,...
Goodbye, Toutatis!
The race is over. While I’m writing this, the potentially hazardous asteroid (4179) Toutatis is on its orbit, leaving us after the close encounter it had with the Earth on Dec. 12. It was...
Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (4179) Toutatis close approach: updates(12 Dec. 2012)
The potentially hazardous asteroid (4179) Toutatis reached its minimum distance from the Earth on Dec. 12, at 6:40 UT. About ten hours later, while still within 7 millions of km from our planet, the Virtual Telescope...
Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (4179) Toutatis close approach: video (11 Dec. 2012)
At the Virtual Telescope, we have been constantly following the potentially hazardous asteroid (4179) Toutatis. In the image above, the telescope tracked the asteroid, so stars appears as trails. The video below comes from...
Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (4179) Toutatis close approach: updates (11 Dec. 2012)
The potentially hazardous asteroid (4179) Toutatis is approaching its minimum distance from the Earth. The Virtual Telescope is monitoring it and captured the image above, where the PlaneWave 17 robotic unit was tracking the...
Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (4179) Toutatis close approach: finding chart
After the request of several observers, we made available this finding chart to locate the potentially hazardous asteroid (4179) Toutatis. The asteorid is shown at 00:00 UT for several days. Its brightness will be high...
Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (4179) Toutatis close approach: video (8 Dec. 2012)
While approaching our planet, the potentially hazardous asteroid (4179) Toutatis is monitored by the Virtual Telescope robotic facility and these image and video come from a good observing session. In the image above, the...
Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (4179) Toutatis close approach: updates (8 Dec. 2012)
The potentially hazardous asteroid (4179) Toutatis continues its trip around the Sun, bringing it in a few days to a minimum distance of 7 millions of km from our Planet. It is worth to...
Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (4179) Toutatis close approach
*** The Virtual Telescope will offer a FREE online, live observing session, sharing images in real time, as well as the audio comment by its astrophysicists. The online event is scheduled for Dec. 13,...
Near-Earth asteroid 2012 TC4: new video while it approaches our planet
The asteroid 2012 TC4 is now just about 30 hours before its close approach with our planet. While it comes closer and closer, its brightness increases, but will remain a telescopic object. At the...
Asteroid 2012 TC4 close approach – new image and movie
While asteroid 2012 TC4 continues to approach our planet, at the Virtual Telescope we managed to grab a few more images. The one above was obtained with the Planewave 17″ unit, with its Paramount...
Asteroid 2012 TC4 close approach: online, live event!
Next 12 Oct. 2012, at 05:17 UT, the asteroid 2012 TC4 will reach a minimum distance from the Earth of less than 100.000km, about 0.2 times the distance of the Moon. It will be...
Asteroid 2012 RK15 close encounter (24 Sept. 2012)
On 24 Sept. 2012 at 16:55 Universal Time, the near-Earth Asteroid 2012 RK15 will approach our planet, reaching a minimum distance of 8.2 lunar distances, that is 3.1 millions of km. It is...
