A giant space block that flew by on September 1, 2017 near the Earth is accompanied by two satellites
NASA's Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) has released a radar image of the asteroid Florence (3122 Florence), which flew close to Earth on September 1, 2017. It was received using a 70-meter antenna from NASA's Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex. It turned out that the asteroid, with which we safely missed, has two satellites. Astronomers believe that each can be 100 to 300 meters across.
Florence's two moons, one closer, the other farther away.
NASA notes that Florence became the third "triple" (1 + 2) asteroid of all currently known. And 16400 are known - those that from time to time fly near us.
According to updated data, the diameter of the asteroid Florence is 4.5 kilometers. Lumps of this size have not yet been seen near our planet for the entire time of observation of near-Earth objects.
The asteroid is almost round, has an annular elevation, stretching along the entire equator, and at least one large crater. It makes one revolution in 2 hours 24 minutes.
One of the satellites of the asteroid - the one that is closer, orbits it in 8 hours, the distant one - in about a day.
On September 1, 2017, Florence flew 7 million kilometers from Earth. It was very far - 18 times farther than the Moon from us. Posed no threat. Nor will he represent during the next rendezvous in 2500. And this pleases: the triple blow - of the asteroid itself and its two satellites - the Earth, of course, would have survived, but humanity is unlikely.
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The asteroid that flew by on September 1 did not threaten the Earth.
NASA's next radar "photo shoot" is scheduled for September 8, 2017 - with the help of the National Science Foundation's Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico. Experts plan to get more detailed images of the asteroid.
The asteroid Florence was discovered on March 2, 1981, named after the legendary nurse Florence Nightingale. It was spotted by a certain Schelte J Bus from Siding Spring Observatory in Australia.
The asteroid Florence was visible through an amateur telescope.
VLADIMIR LAGOVSKY