It's an asteroid! It's a comet! No, wait...
October 26, 2015 9:45 AM Subscribe
On November 13, 2015, astronomers will get the chance to observe an object that will hit earth at 6:20 UTC, around 65 kilometres from the southern tip of Sri Lanka. This little guy is rare - even though there are many pieces of space junk in orbit around the earth, none of the artificial objects in distant orbit are known to have made the return trip to Earth.
The object is only 1 to 2 metres in size, and its trajectory shows it is low-density, perhaps hollow. That suggests an artificial object, “a lost piece of space history that’s come back to haunt us”, says Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
For those who prefer video: helpful if grainy image of map of expected impact/burn-up at approximately 1:58.
The object is only 1 to 2 metres in size, and its trajectory shows it is low-density, perhaps hollow. That suggests an artificial object, “a lost piece of space history that’s come back to haunt us”, says Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
For those who prefer video: helpful if grainy image of map of expected impact/burn-up at approximately 1:58.
If the Sri Lankans I've known are any indication, the primary effect of those giant monsters will be deliciousness.
posted by Etrigan at 9:50 AM on October 26, 2015 [8 favorites]
posted by Etrigan at 9:50 AM on October 26, 2015 [8 favorites]
V'Ger has returned, praise be!
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 10:23 AM on October 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 10:23 AM on October 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
The mystery object, WT1109F, has a very eccentric orbit . . .
OK, so from now on my new phrase for a totally inexplicable WTF is: "What the eleven-oh-nine fuck??"
posted by The Bellman at 10:24 AM on October 26, 2015 [29 favorites]
OK, so from now on my new phrase for a totally inexplicable WTF is: "What the eleven-oh-nine fuck??"
posted by The Bellman at 10:24 AM on October 26, 2015 [29 favorites]
It's the inanimate carbon rod!
posted by mannequito at 10:34 AM on October 26, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by mannequito at 10:34 AM on October 26, 2015 [3 favorites]
Almost certainly a bit of something that was launched at the moon and didn't stop, thus entering a solar orbit that was close to Earth's orbit. Then, it got "lucky" and the moon was in the right place to pull it back into an Earth Orbit -- one with a too low perigee, sure.
It could also be something from something launched into the Earth-Moon-Soon L1 or L2 points. You need active stationkeeping to stay there, most sats there will actually orbit the actual L1/L2 point (a Lissajous orbit) which is more stable than staying at the actual spot.
L1 missions are typically solar observatories, because they get an unimpeded view of the sun. L2 missions are typically deep infrared or microwave observatories that are using the permanent shadow of L2 to stay cool, or any mission where you want stability and to not be staring at the sun. One at L2 is Gaia, a photometry mission, WMAP was there until the end of its mission (it's now in a solar orbit) and the James West Space Telescope is due to be launched to L2 in 2018.
Bits from any of the boosters that launched those missions would have been left in unstable Lissajous orbits or solar orbits that could have later been captured. The largest we know of are the S-IVB stages from Apollos 8-12, which were aimed after TLI to just miss the moon and be thrown into solar orbit. One of those caused a bit of a stir when it was thought to be an asteroid captured into Earth orbit, see J2002E3. The giveaway that this was probably an S-IVB? Not many asteroids are covered in Titanium Dioxide, but pretty much every S-IVB was.
The S-IVBs from Apollos 13-17 were aimed instead to impact the moon, since we'd installed seismometers on the moon during Apollo 11 and 12, this gave us a couple of nice big "THUMPS" to analyze.
posted by eriko at 10:39 AM on October 26, 2015 [12 favorites]
It could also be something from something launched into the Earth-Moon-Soon L1 or L2 points. You need active stationkeeping to stay there, most sats there will actually orbit the actual L1/L2 point (a Lissajous orbit) which is more stable than staying at the actual spot.
L1 missions are typically solar observatories, because they get an unimpeded view of the sun. L2 missions are typically deep infrared or microwave observatories that are using the permanent shadow of L2 to stay cool, or any mission where you want stability and to not be staring at the sun. One at L2 is Gaia, a photometry mission, WMAP was there until the end of its mission (it's now in a solar orbit) and the James West Space Telescope is due to be launched to L2 in 2018.
Bits from any of the boosters that launched those missions would have been left in unstable Lissajous orbits or solar orbits that could have later been captured. The largest we know of are the S-IVB stages from Apollos 8-12, which were aimed after TLI to just miss the moon and be thrown into solar orbit. One of those caused a bit of a stir when it was thought to be an asteroid captured into Earth orbit, see J2002E3. The giveaway that this was probably an S-IVB? Not many asteroids are covered in Titanium Dioxide, but pretty much every S-IVB was.
The S-IVBs from Apollos 13-17 were aimed instead to impact the moon, since we'd installed seismometers on the moon during Apollo 11 and 12, this gave us a couple of nice big "THUMPS" to analyze.
posted by eriko at 10:39 AM on October 26, 2015 [12 favorites]
There's a cynical side to me that has a tiny suspicion this is just an elaborate plan to promote The Gods Must Be Crazy VI, that's secretly been in production for the last 20 years.
posted by chambers at 10:47 AM on October 26, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by chambers at 10:47 AM on October 26, 2015 [3 favorites]
The mystery object, WT1109F, has a very eccentric orbit that takes it out to twice the Earth-Moon distance
With all due respect to The Bellman, I initially parsed this designation as WTF1109.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 10:52 AM on October 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
With all due respect to The Bellman, I initially parsed this designation as WTF1109.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 10:52 AM on October 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
The Lunar Module from Apollo 10 was jettisoned into solar orbit with air, water and various trash, including bases of feces aboard. In short, there's was material to grow...something.
Now, after decades in orbit, exposed to ungodly amounts of solar radiation, it returns to Earth close to Halloween?
Run mortals. RUN.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 11:11 AM on October 26, 2015 [10 favorites]
Now, after decades in orbit, exposed to ungodly amounts of solar radiation, it returns to Earth close to Halloween?
Run mortals. RUN.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 11:11 AM on October 26, 2015 [10 favorites]
That is Friday the 13th, you know. And Jason has been to outer space.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 12:58 PM on October 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 12:58 PM on October 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
As someone reading Seveneves this week, this FPP gave me momentary worry.
posted by sourwookie at 1:00 PM on October 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by sourwookie at 1:00 PM on October 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
That is Friday the 13th, you know. And Jason has been to space.
In the future, sure. We certainly don't need to worry about that now.
posted by Etrigan at 1:02 PM on October 26, 2015 [2 favorites]
In the future, sure. We certainly don't need to worry about that now.
posted by Etrigan at 1:02 PM on October 26, 2015 [2 favorites]
With its relatively close (~1000 miles) proximity of the military facilities at Diego Garcia to the projected impact site near Sri Lanka, between what's on the base and the various sea and air units they have there, I'd be very surprised if this event will be taken advantage of in some manner. At the very least, it would be useful for training and equipment testing purposes for everything from detection and tracking to salvage operations.
While that's nice for them, the amount of data that might be made available to scientists from those sources could be quite limited, vague, or even exaggerated a bit, as the data itself (in a raw form) could be used as a way to deduce the capabilities of equipment (including what's on the base, the ships, the aircraft, or even stuff in orbit) that they would rather not talk about. It would be logical for them to do that, considering the same technology that can detect and track this thing is pretty much the same tech you would be using to detect and track things like ICBMs or fast, stealthy aircraft.
posted by chambers at 2:19 PM on October 26, 2015
While that's nice for them, the amount of data that might be made available to scientists from those sources could be quite limited, vague, or even exaggerated a bit, as the data itself (in a raw form) could be used as a way to deduce the capabilities of equipment (including what's on the base, the ships, the aircraft, or even stuff in orbit) that they would rather not talk about. It would be logical for them to do that, considering the same technology that can detect and track this thing is pretty much the same tech you would be using to detect and track things like ICBMs or fast, stealthy aircraft.
posted by chambers at 2:19 PM on October 26, 2015
Meanwhile, there's a 400 meter asteroid passing just outside the moon's orbit on Halloween.
posted by A dead Quaker at 3:49 PM on October 26, 2015
posted by A dead Quaker at 3:49 PM on October 26, 2015
GenjiandProust: I am sure that no giant monsters terrorizing the surrounding areas will come of this.
Of course not. These things terrorize us with weird colors and spreading decay, not monsters.
posted by traveler_ at 12:07 AM on October 29, 2015 [1 favorite]
Of course not. These things terrorize us with weird colors and spreading decay, not monsters.
posted by traveler_ at 12:07 AM on October 29, 2015 [1 favorite]
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posted by GenjiandProust at 9:48 AM on October 26, 2015 [7 favorites]