Watch out Africa: Space rock heading your way

By William Atkins
Tuesday, 07 October 2008 05:42

Science - Space

NASA announces that before dawn Tuesday, October, 7, 2008, a small asteroid will produce an early brilliance over the morning sky of northern Sudan.


According to NASA's October 6, 2008 media release, “Small asteroid to light up sky over Africa,” the asteroid will be several feet in diameter, but it unlikely to impact the Earth’s surface.

However, the space rock, designated 2008 TC3, is large enough to produce “a potentially brilliant natural fireworks display.”

The asteroid event is expected to occur at 5:46 a.m. local time, Tuesday, October 7, 2008 over Africa, or 10:46 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT), Monday October 6, 2008.

Its trajectory will take it eastward over Africa and toward the Red Sea.

Don Yeomans, who is with the Near-Earth Object Office at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (Pasadena, California, U.S.A.) states, "We estimate objects this size enter Earth's atmosphere once every few months. The unique aspect of this event is that it is the first time we have observed an impacting object during its final approach." [NASA]

Yeomans adds, "Observers in the region could be in for quite a show. When the object enters the atmosphere, it could become an extremely bright fireball." [NASA]

NASA states that space rock 2008 TC3 was first observed early Monday, October 6, 2008, by personnel using one of two telescope at the Mount Lemon Infrared Observatory, which is located about 45 miles (73 kilometers) north of the University of Arizona and within the Coronado National Forest. The personnel were participating in the NASA-funded Catalina Sky Survey.