[meteorite-list] Small Asteroid 2016 RB1 Flew Safely Past Earth on September 7

[Ron Baalke]

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=6615

Small Asteroid Flew Safely Past Earth Today
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
September 7, 2016

[Animation]
Animated gif of asteroid 2016 RB1's close approach to Earth This animated 
gif of asteroid 2016 RB1's close approach to Earth was imaged by astronomer 
Gianluca Masi on the evening of Sept. 6, 2016, using the Virtual Telescope 
located in Ceccano, Central Italy. Image credit: VT/Masi

A small asteroid designated 2016 RB1 safely flew past Earth today at 10:20 
a.m. PDT (1:20 p.m. EDT / 17:20 UTC) at a distance of about 25,000 miles 
(40,000 kilometers, or just less than 1/10th the distance of Earth to 
the moon). Because the asteroid's orbit carried it below (or over) Earth's 
south pole, it did not pass within the orbits of communication or weather 
satellites. 2016 RB1 is estimated to be between 25 to 50 feet (7 and 16 
meters) in diameter. It is the closest the space rock will come to Earth 
for at least the next half century.

Asteroid 2016 RB1 was discovered on Sept. 5, 2016, by astronomers using 
the 60-inch Cassegrain reflector telescope of the Catalina Sky Survey, 
located at the summit of Mount Lemmon in the Catalina Mountains north 
of Tucson, Arizona -- a project of NASA'S NEO Observations Program in 
collaboration with the University of Arizona.

The Center for NEO Studies website has a complete list of recent and upcoming 
close approaches, as well as all other data on the orbits of known NEOs 
(near-Earth objects), so scientists and members of the media and public 
can track information on known objects.

For asteroid news and updates, follow AsteroidWatch on Twitter:

http://www.twitter.com/AsteroidWatch

News Media Contact
DC Agle
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
818-393-9011
agle at jpl.nasa.gov

Dwayne Brown / Laurie Cantillo
NASA Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1726 / 202-358-1077
dwayne.c.brown at nasa.gov / laura.l.cantillo at nasa.gov

2016-233