[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”gcid-579abc80-458a-43b5-90b5-efa821d39207″ custom_padding=”4px||0px|||” global_colors_info=”{%22gcid-579abc80-458a-43b5-90b5-efa821d39207%22:%91%22background_color%22%93}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][dsm_breadcrumbs _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/dsm_breadcrumbs][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”gcid-579abc80-458a-43b5-90b5-efa821d39207″ custom_padding=”5px||2px|||” global_colors_info=”{%22gcid-579abc80-458a-43b5-90b5-efa821d39207%22:%91%22background_color%22%93}”][et_pb_row make_equal=”on” _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”5px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_css_main_element=”display: flex;||flex-direction: row;||align-items: center;” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
Asteroid Month takes place each June, ending with Asteroid Day on June 30. Just in time this year, a near-Earth asteroid (NEA) will be zooming past Earth in the approaching weeks, giving skygazers everywhere a chance to catch one in action!<\/span><\/p>\n There are millions of <\/span>asteroids<\/span><\/a> orbiting the Sun, chunks of rock and metal leftover from when our Solar System formed. Some of these orbit near Earth, making them NEAs; some come particularly close, making them potentially hazardous asteroids (PHAs). When NEAs are larger than 140 meters (640 feet) across and come within 0.05 Earth-Sun distances, or about 7.5 million km (4.6 million mi), they\u2019re put into the potentially hazardous category. The asteroid soon to be flying by is a PHA, meaning it\u2019s extra-important for scientists to understand its trajectory.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.unistellar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/1994_XD_orbits.gif” title_text=”1994_XD_orbits” align=”center” src_tablet=”https:\/\/www.unistellar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/NASAinsignia.png” src_phone=”https:\/\/www.unistellar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/NASAinsignia.png” src_last_edited=”on|desktop” _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” width=”67%” module_alignment=”center” custom_padding=”||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#D6D6D6″ text_font_size=”12px” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n The orbit of potentially hazardous asteroid (488453) 1994XD. You can see how it will cross Earth’s orbit! Credit: Tony Dunn.<\/em><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”gcid-579abc80-458a-43b5-90b5-efa821d39207″ custom_margin=”||-24px|||” custom_padding=”1px||6px|||” global_colors_info=”{%22gcid-579abc80-458a-43b5-90b5-efa821d39207%22:%91%22background_color%22%93}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”8px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”||0px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n The approaching space rock is a PHA called (488453) 1994XD. It\u2019s about 500 m (1640 ft) across, which is big, but not world-ending big. Still, an asteroid of that size could do some serious damage. For comparison, the Chelyabinsk meteor was an asteroid just 18 m (60 ft) when it exploded over Chelyabinsk, Russia in 2013 with the force of around up to 500 kilotons of TNT, or around 30 atomic bombs. Fortunately, 1994XD won\u2019t hit us \u2014 it will pass about eight lunar distances from Earth on June 12 \u2014 but it\u2019s still necessary to get better data about its orbit to see where it will be in the future.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.unistellar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/1994_XD_stars.gif” title_text=”1994_XD_stars” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”|0px||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#D6D6D6″ text_font_size=”12px” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Asteroid (488453) 1994XD as it will fly through the sky this June. Credit: Tony Dunn.<\/em><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”gcid-579abc80-458a-43b5-90b5-efa821d39207″ custom_padding=”4px||2px|||” global_colors_info=”{%22gcid-579abc80-458a-43b5-90b5-efa821d39207%22:%91%22background_color%22%93}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n To protect the citizens of Earth from a potentially destructive impact, scientists around the world are engaged in <\/span>Planetary Defense<\/span><\/a>, which entails watching out for and potentially deflecting an incoming asteroid. That could look something like NASA\u2019s <\/span>Double Asteroid Redirect<\/span><\/a> (DART) mission, which crashed a spacecraft into an asteroid to nudge its orbit (it worked \u2014 and was <\/span>observed by Unistellar members<\/span><\/a>!), or keeping tabs on PHAs.<\/span><\/p>\n As 1994XD approaches Earth in June, we\u2019re calling on members of the Unistellar Network to make observations and submit their data to scientists so they can refine their estimates of its orbit. The asteroid will be visible worldwide beginning June 2 and it will be moving fast \u2013 so fast that by June 11, even before it makes its close approach on June 12, it will likely be flying too fast to observe!<\/strong> <\/em>Catch this asteroid while you can, and learn more about this mission on our Planetary Defense Missions page<\/a>!<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row make_equal=”on” _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”||35px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.18.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_css_main_element=”display: flex;||flex-direction: row;||align-items: center;” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.19.5″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”||on||||||” text_orientation=”center” custom_margin=”||||false|false” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n 1994XD is registered in the Unistellar App Catalog, so it\u2019s easy to observe. You\u2019ll be using the Unistellar app\u2019s Planetary Defense mode, which can be found under the Science tab.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nFind an Asteroid Near Earth<\/strong><\/h3>\n
How to observe this asteroid with your Unistellar telescope:<\/b><\/span><\/h4>\n