Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ncar!ames!purdue!iuvax!silver!sl161011
From: sl161011@silver.bacs.indiana.edu (Kevin Clendenien)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Re: Asteroid/Earth Close Encounter
Keywords: Asteroid near miss Earth tracking
Message-ID: <3825@silver.bacs.indiana.edu>
Date: 26 Apr 89 20:33:21 GMT
References: <101062@sun.Eng.Sun.COM>
Reply-To: sl161011@silver.UUCP (Kevin Clendenien)
Organization: Indiana University BACS, Bloomington
Lines: 19

In article <101062@sun.Eng.Sun.COM> mae@vygr.Sun.COM (Mike Ekberg, Sun {GPD-LEGO}) writes:
>I heard a TV news teaser two days ago that mentioned
>something about an asteroid coming close to the
>earth recently. Haven't heard anything about it
>since.
>
>#mike (sun!mae), M/S 8-40

The asterioid in question, at it's closest point, was slightly less than
twice the distance to the moon from the earth.  Experts estimate that if
it had hit the earth, it would have had a total destructive force of
20,000 (1 megaton) nuclear bombs, leaving a crater 5 miles deep, and 10
miles across.  If it had landed in the ocean, some serious tidal waves
could be expected.  The asteroid was not sighted as it passed, but was
discovered on photographic plates.  It is believed that it will pass
this way again, and again.
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sl161011@silver.UUCP                                    Kevin B. Clendenien
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