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‘Moby Dick’ Asteroid 2000 EM26 is Missing – Help Astronomers Find It
universetoday.com ^ | February 18, 2014 | Bob King on

Posted on 02/18/2014 2:00:32 PM PST by BenLurkin

Slooh’s robotic telescope attempted to recover the asteroid and share its speedy travels with the world but failed to capture an image at the predicted position.

Now nicknamed Moby Dick after the elusive whale in Herman Melville’s novel of the same name, the asteroid’s gone missing in the deep sea of space. Earthlings need fear no peril; it’s not headed in our direction anytime soon. Either the asteroid’s predicted path was in error or the object was much fainter than expected. More likely the former.

...

Rather than throwing their hands up in the air, the folks at Slooh are calling upon amateur astronomers make a photographic search for the errant space rock in the next few nights.

Since the asteroid was last observed 14 years ago for only 9 days, it isn’t too surprising that uncertainties in its position could add up over time, shifting the asteroid’s position and path to a different part of the sky by 2014. According to Daniel Fischer, German amateur astronomer and astronomy writer, the positions were off by 100 degrees! As Paul Cox, Slooh’s Observatory Director, points out:

“Discovering these Near Earth Objects isn’t enough. As we’ve seen with 2000 EM26, all the effort that went into its discovery is worthless unless follow­up observations are made to accurately determine their orbits for the future.

(Excerpt) Read more at universetoday.com ...


TOPICS: Astronomy
KEYWORDS: 2000em26; catastrophism
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Hmmm....
1 posted on 02/18/2014 2:00:32 PM PST by BenLurkin
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To: BenLurkin

ask James Carville and Senator Waxman. they should know where it is.


2 posted on 02/18/2014 2:11:04 PM PST by Cruz_West_Paul2016
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To: BenLurkin

Captain Aayehab weel find er, right Captain.


3 posted on 02/18/2014 2:12:34 PM PST by Uncle Chip
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To: BenLurkin

can we send the starship enterprise out there?


4 posted on 02/18/2014 2:20:01 PM PST by Cruz_West_Paul2016
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To: Uncle Chip
we need all them (tITLAPD) pirates lookin', aye cap'tun?

5 posted on 02/18/2014 2:20:16 PM PST by skinkinthegrass (The end move in politics is always to pick up a gun..0'Caligula / 0'Reid / 0'Pelosi)
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To: BenLurkin

Did Chris Christie eat it?


6 posted on 02/18/2014 2:23:00 PM PST by SWAMPSNIPER (The Second Amendment, a Matter of Fact, Not a Matter of Opinion)
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To: BenLurkin

Found it.

http://www.asterank.com/


7 posted on 02/18/2014 2:23:10 PM PST by cripplecreek (REMEMBER THE RIVER RAISIN!)
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To: BenLurkin

What about the asteroid they were going to name after Trayvon Martin?


8 posted on 02/18/2014 2:24:35 PM PST by Dilbert San Diego (TH)
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To: Dilbert San Diego

It died on impact.


9 posted on 02/18/2014 2:36:54 PM PST by nesnah (Liberals - the petulant children of politics)
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To: skinkinthegrass

Word is that Starbuck is readying the Pequod with supplies.

Ishmael and Queequeg are rounding up a crew.

Shipping out shortly to find and harpoon that elusive critter.


10 posted on 02/18/2014 2:42:42 PM PST by Uncle Chip
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To: BenLurkin
I don't know where it is but this guy was on it when it disappeared from view:


11 posted on 02/18/2014 2:49:18 PM PST by colorado tanker
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To: BenLurkin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9-42mu1D9Y


12 posted on 02/18/2014 3:11:05 PM PST by mountn man (The Pleasure You Get From Life Is Equal To The Attitude You Put Into It)
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To: BenLurkin
If it changed course, that's bad news.
Next we'll see it hovering over New York, issuing ultimatums. Or worse.

13 posted on 02/18/2014 4:02:18 PM PST by BitWielder1 (Corporate Profits are better than Government Waste)
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To: BitWielder1

14 posted on 02/18/2014 5:45:10 PM PST by BenLurkin (This is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion or satire; or both.)
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To: BenLurkin; 75thOVI; agrace; aimhigh; Alice in Wonderland; AndrewC; aragorn; aristotleman; ...
Thanks BenLurkin. Zero warning is good for ya, keeps ya alert. ;')

15 posted on 02/18/2014 7:28:55 PM PST by SunkenCiv (http://www.freerepublic.com/~mestamachine/)
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To: SunkenCiv; All

It’s missing? Don’t look it me, I didn’t take it. I’m innocent!


16 posted on 02/18/2014 7:33:52 PM PST by rdl6989
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To: BenLurkin
Moby Dick?

They should have named it "Social Security Trust Fund."
17 posted on 02/18/2014 10:26:14 PM PST by clearcarbon
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To: BenLurkin

There it is - and it’s heading straight for Earth. Aaaaaagh!


18 posted on 02/18/2014 10:34:20 PM PST by Jack Hammer
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To: Uncle Chip
Aye Capt'um! ..ready that thar scowl..
what no sails, it's powered by what?
a bloody firecracker! ..better naval rocket!
(*muttering* ..shiver me timber)
umm.. yes..i did volunteer you
scurrilous scalawag..no..thar be no mutiny

19 posted on 02/19/2014 12:40:25 AM PST by skinkinthegrass (The end move in politics is always to pick up a gun..0'Caligula / 0'Reid / 0'Pelosi)
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To: BenLurkin
Earthlings need fear no peril; it’s not headed in our direction anytime soon. Either the asteroid’s predicted path was in error...

If the predicted path may have been in error, how do they KNOW it's not headed in our direction anytime soon?

20 posted on 02/19/2014 6:29:12 AM PST by JimRed (Excise the cancer before it kills us; feed & water the Tree of Liberty! TERM LIMITS NOW & FOREVER!)
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