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Old 12-January-2008, 12:01 AM
Werfer Werfer is offline
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Join Date: Sep 2007
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The NASA data hasn't been updated for some time.

The fact that this rock is booked into the Goldstone observatory for observations, and it ''needs astrometry'' tells me they have NOT got a firm grip on the precise trajectory of this thing.

The problem NASA is having in regards to an agreed upon solution is that around the end of December they noticed this asteroid had a strange tumbling rotation. The orbit they originally defined was symmetrical. Further study indicated that the orbit is irregular. From October to December a series of irregular jogs in the orbit were observed. With each jog the solution has to be rerun. The composition of the asteroid is believed to be dense rock or iron. The multiple spin axis, density and irregular shape of this asteroid couple with no prior observation and lack of time is causing havoc with NASA’s ability to accurately predict the outcome. T

he next posted solution could bring the near miss distance inside of the Moons orbit. All recent program runs are in consensus that it is inside of 1 LD.
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