William Atkins
Monday, 26 January 2009 19:59
Science -
Space
Page 2 of 3
Thus, when asteroid 2009 BD passed the Earth at about 400,000 miles is was that distance further from the Sun than the Earth. However, it is not always further from the Sun when compared to Earth.
Its orbital eccentricity (shape) is stated as 0.0278 and Earth’s eccentricity is measured as 0.0167.
An eccentricity between 0 and 1 means an orbit is shaped like an ellipse (having an elliptical orbit). [Statistics provided by
AstroprofsPage.com]
An orbit with an eccentricity of 0 would be shaped as a circle. And, an orbit with an eccentricity of 1 would be shaped as a parabola (a parabolic orbit).
These statistics mean that the orbit of 2009 BD sometimes carries it closer to the Sun than the Earth, however, for the most part it is further from the Sun than the Earth.
According to the AstroprofsPage.com’s article “
2009 BD” if the small co-orbital asteroid had hit the Earth it
“would likely have created an explosion similar in size to that from an atomic bomb (depending upon composition and speed at impact.”
It adds,
“Earth gets hit by this sized body every now and then. That it is out there and that it is passing near Earth are not unusual. It is one of a large number of such bodies in the Solar System.”
Page three concludes with diagrams and additional information.
