Stranger in the night space rock to make close Earth flyby
A little-known asteroid will skim past Earth on 15 February, passing just 28 000 km from our planet. The 50 m-diameter chunk of space rock was discovered last year by ESA-sponsored amateur astronomers in Spain. Read more
Esperance residents should to look for a slow-moving star-like object as it zips by the Earth from south to west. Through a telescope, the asteroid will appear about the size of a distant star as it moves through the sky, almost eight times as fast as a rifle bullet and at an altitude well below the orbit of most communication satellites. Read more
New research by Richard Binzel, a professor of planetary science at MIT, suggests that many near-Earth asteroids experience a seismic jolt when they pass too close to our planets gravitational field. Read more
Like trailers for the coming attraction, new images show asteroid 2012 DA14 on its way to a record-close approach to Earth on Feb. 15. One image, taken by amateur astronomer Dave Herald of Murrumbateman, Australia, on Feb. 13, shows the asteroid as a tiny white dot in the field of view. Another set of animated images, obtained by the Faulkes Telescope South in Siding Springs, Australia, on Feb. 14, and animated by the Remanzacco Observatory in Italy, shows the asteroid as a bright spot moving across the night sky. Read more
Australia to have grandstand view of Asteroid 2012 DA14 and its near-miss with Earth
Experts have recommended people look below the Southern Cross about 4.30am AEDT onwards. The best views will be on the west coast, though maybe not in Perth itself because of the ambient light. If you're in a rural area of WA, check the skies around 2.30am local time. Read more