Fate of asteroid discovered by UA researchers remains unknown
by Alan Fischer on Oct. 08, 2008, under Education, Local, SpecialThe fate of an asteroid discovered by University of Arizona researchers on a crash course with Earth remains unknown.
An asteroid 2 to 5 meters in diameter was discovered Sunday night headed toward northern Sudan by astronomers at UA’s Catalina Sky Survey.
The asteroid entered the Earth’s atmosphere about 7:45 p.m. MondayTucson time, as predicted, but scientists are as yet uncertain if it impacted the ground, said Ed Beshore, senior staff scientist with Catalina Sky Survey.
“We have to wait to see if any images come out,” he said. “The next best thing would be eyewitness accounts.”
An acoustic monitoring device in Kenya reported a 1- to 2-kiloton explosion over Sudan at the predicted time, Beshore said.
The blast, likely a shock wave from an aerial blast, was of the same strength and at the same location researchers predicted for atmospheric entry, he said.
A kiloton equals the explosive force of 1,000 tons of TNT.
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines reported a pilot flying 310 miles south of the predicted entry point saw a flash of bright light, he said.
So far, no photos or eyewitness accounts have surfaced of an African impact, he said Tuesday afternoon.
“It happened over a very remote, uninhabited territory,” he said. “Someone would have to be within 300 miles of the impact point to see anything.
“We’re not sure anyone was close enough. We may never get any photos.”
Collectors of extraterrestrial items may be deterred from seeking evidence of the asteroid.
“It happens to be an area where there are a lot of bandits,” Beshore said. “There are people who are interested, but there is a concern over the politics of the area and the effect on safety.”
