NEO and Space Debris News - 2005

Jul 04 - DEEP IMPACT HITS COMET TEMPEL I
The NASA spacecraft Deep Impact released a 370 kg copper projectile that collided with comet 9P/Tempel I at 0552 hours Universal Time. The impact occurred about 134 million km from the Earth, and any debris produced will pose no danger to the Earth. The results of the collision will help astronomers determine the composition and structure of this comet. Such information is vital for any future planetary defence avoidance actions. Further information about the encounter may be found on the NASA Deep Impact Web site.

Jul 01 - NEA CENSUS
The Minor Planet Center lists the currently known number of Near Earth Asteroids as 3390. These are distributed among the three orbital classes as:
The number of Potentially Hazardous Asteroids stands at 658

Apr - ASTRONAUT PROPOSES A RADAR TRANSPONDER ON NEA 2004 MN4
Former Apollo astronaut Rusty Schweickart has proposed the placement of a radar transponder on near Earth asteroid 2004 MN4, a 300 metre class object currently predicted to pass about 36,000 km from Earth's centre on 13 April 2029. The transponder would allow much more precise tracking of the asteroid and over long intervals when the body is not visible in optical telescopes.

Apr 12 - MIT ISSUES REVISED TORINO SCALE
The wording attached to the 0 to 10 Torino Scale of NEO impact threat has been revised downward "to assuage public concerns about a potential doomsday collision". The scale was first proposed by MIT professor Richard Binzel, and has been adopted by the IAU (International Astronomical Union).


ASAAustralian Space Academy