All articles tagged with #close encounter
Kate McKinnon returned to "Saturday Night Live" for another "Close Encounter" alien abduction cold open with host Ryan Gosling, reprising her popular character Colleen Rafferty. The sketch featured outrageous and humorous interactions between the characters, with Gosling struggling not to laugh and stay in character, as he has in previous iterations of the sketch.
A newly discovered car-sized asteroid, 2024 CY1, passed between the Earth and the Moon at a distance of about 121,000km, marking the tenth close encounter this year. Measuring 4 to 8m in diameter, it posed no risk to Earth. Astronomers have observed about 25,000 asteroids with potential city-wiping capabilities, and the European Space Agency estimates there could be a million more in the 30 to 100m size range near Earth. Efforts are underway to develop early warning systems, such as ESA's Neomir, to protect the planet from potentially hazardous asteroids.
Astronomers have shared new footage of a recently discovered asteroid's close encounter with Earth, providing a rare glimpse of the celestial event. The asteroid, known as 2022 EB5, passed within 0.5 lunar distances of Earth, equivalent to about 120,000 miles, making it a relatively close shave in astronomical terms. The footage captured by astronomers offers valuable insights into the behavior and trajectory of near-Earth objects, contributing to our understanding of potential impact threats and the dynamics of the solar system.
Astronomers at The Virtual Telescope Project captured incredible footage and images of asteroid 2024 BJ as it made a close encounter with Earth, whizzing past at a distance of 353,000 kilometers. The asteroid, discovered just 10 days prior, was live-streamed and photographed during its closest approach, offering a glimpse of the object, which is approximately five giraffes wide. The asteroid's name, 2024 BJ, reflects its discovery in January 2024, and its temporary name may change based on further observations.
Wildlife photographer Mark Girardeau calmly filmed a mountain lion walking past him on a dirt road in Trabuco Canyon, California. Girardeau had bear spray ready for self-defense and later encountered the cougar again from his car. The identity of the collared cougar, believed to be Uno, has not been confirmed by wildlife officials.
A Florida paddleboarder had a close encounter with a hammerhead shark while participating in a long-distance paddleboard trip for charity. The paddleboarder initially thought she was picking up seaweed, but soon realized it was a shark following her. She was guided back to safety by her husband and believes the shark was just curious. Undeterred, she got back on her board and continued her trip.
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has revealed that a 200-foot and a 52-foot asteroid are set to come very close to Earth. The 200-foot Asteroid 2023 JD2 will make its closest approach on May 16, coming as close as just 3.5 million miles. Meanwhile, the 52-foot Asteroid 2023 JT2 will come uncomfortably close at almost 2.63 kilometers.
Asteroid 2023 DZ2, estimated to be 200 feet wide, will make its closest approach to Earth on Saturday morning, passing at a distance of about 108,000 miles. The asteroid will travel between the Earth and the moon at a speed of 4.5 miles per second. NASA lists a chance of the asteroid striking Earth in 2026 at 1 in 260 million.