Figure 2 (updated Nov 6, 2013): The orbits of 2013 UQ4, 2013 US10 and 2013 UP8 are shown as viewed from within the plane of the solar system (ecliptic plane), which makes clear their highly inclined orbits relative to Earth's orbit. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Haven’t we had enough news about Michelle?
Only 12 miles across. So small. Incredible, though that a solid rock would be 12 miles across, so large!
Another article on the same subject:
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?release=2013-336
“The third of the recent discoveries is the approximately 1.2-kilometer (two-kilometer) near-Earth asteroid 2013 UP8, found on Oct. 25 by the Pan-STARRS group in Hawaii. This asteroid can approach quite close to Earth’s orbit, within 3.4 million miles (5.5 million kilometers), which makes it a “potentially hazardous asteroid” (PHA). 2013 UP8 is in the top 5th percentile of the largest PHAs, most of which were found much earlier during NASA’s asteroid survey program. Like the other new discoveries, this asteroid has gone undetected for a long time because it has not approached Earth closely for decades. But the increasingly capable NASA-supported asteroid surveys finally found this object while it was still at a large distance from Earth, well beyond the orbit of Mars.”
Perfect. Her Thighness could be the Reigning Queen of one; ship her off next week. Harry Reid could have another and be the HMFIC; go next week. Little Dick Durbin could have the other and be Little Dick in Charge; send him tomorrow. No reason to worry about Nanny; she’ll be gone soon enough.
