Re: Near earth asteroids...

[Roger Freedman <airboy@sbphy.physics.ucsb.edu>]

Dwight Souder wrote:

> I've been trying to find data about the "near earth asteroid" scare sometime
> either in Feb. or March of 1998.  I know how much they were off by, but
> what I'm trying to find is how far away was the asteroid from the earth
> when they first discovered it.  If anyone knows, could you please let me
> know.  All of the articles I've read just tells how close it will pass.

An excellent source of information on this asteroid (1997 XF11) is 
J. V. Scotti's article "Fleeting Expectations: The Tale of an Asteroid" 
in the July 1998 issue of Sky & Telescope. He reports that at the time of
its discovery in December 1997, 1997 XF11 was almost 135 million km (0.9 AU)
from Earth and more than 250 million km (1.7 AU) from the Sun. The article 
also gives the complete story of the rise and fall of the "Great Asteroid
Scare of 1998."

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Roger A. Freedman
Dept. of Physics and College of Creative Studies
University of California, Santa Barbara

Mailing address:
Department of Physics
UCSB
Santa Barbara CA 93106-9530

   E-mail: airboy@physics.ucsb.edu
    Voice: (805) 893-2345
      FAX: (805) 893-3307
Voicemail: (800) 344-3147 x4322