How Asteroid 2012 DA14 Will Give Earth Close Shave (Infographic)

Infographic: On Feb. 15, 2013, a 150-foot asteroid will fly past Earth at an altitude of 17,200 miles - closer than our own communications satellites
On Feb. 15, 2013, a 150-foot asteroid will fly past Earth at an altitude of 17,200 miles - closer than our own communications satellites. (Image credit: Karl Tate, SPACE.com contributor)

At 2:26 p.m. EST (1926 GMT) on Feb. 15, the asteroid 2012 DA14 will fly within 17,200 miles (27,680 kilo- meters) of Earth. This is lower than the communications satellites that orbit 22,000 miles (35,800 km) above the equator.

The asteroid will not hit the Earth on this orbital pass, but asteroid 2012 DA14 is about the size of the object that hit Siberia in 1908 (the "Tunguska Event"). The asteroid was discovered on Feb. 23, 2012, by the La Sagra Sky Survey. [Asteroid 2012 DA14 Flyby: Fact vs. Fiction (Video)]

At 150 feet wide (49 meters), the asteroid is less than half the length of the International Space Station (356 feet wide, or 109 meters). It is about half the size of a football field.

From Earth's Northern Hemisphere, the asteroid will be below the horizon for most of its approach, but will be well-placed for observing after closest approach. The asteroid passes at a sharp angle to the path of the satellites and is not expected to hit any of them. [Asteroid 2012 DA14 Photos: Earth Flyby of Feb. 15, 2013]

The asteroid's current orbit is similar to the Earth's, but tilted. Asteroid 2012 DA14 passes Earth twice per orbit, but February’s pass is the closest approach for many decades. As it whips by at a relative velocity of 4.8 miles per second (7.82 kilometers per second), the Earth’s gravity will slingshot the asteroid into a slightly different orbit.

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Karl Tate
Space.com contributor

Karl's association with Space.com goes back to 2000, when he was hired to produce interactive Flash graphics. From 2010 to 2016, Karl worked as an infographics specialist across all editorial properties of Purch (formerly known as TechMediaNetwork).  Before joining Space.com, Karl spent 11 years at the New York headquarters of The Associated Press, creating news graphics for use around the world in newspapers and on the web.  He has a degree in graphic design from Louisiana State University and now works as a freelance graphic designer in New York City.