06/27/11 – Ephemeris – Asteroid 2011 MD makes a close approach today

Monday, June 27th.  Today the sun will be up for 15 hours and 32 minutes, setting at 9:31.   The moon, half way from last quarter to new, will rise at 3:32 tomorrow morning.  Tomorrow the sun will rise at 5:59.

At about 1:14 this afternoon a small asteroid provisionally named 2011 MD will pass within 8,000 miles of the earth.  The asteroid, discovered last Wednesday, is thought to be about 30 feet in diameter.  It will fly well within the communication geosynchronous satellites and 3,000 miles lower than the GPS satellites.  It is, however, over 7,000 miles above the orbit of the International Space Station.  At its closest approach it will be over South Africa.  Back in February an asteroid came within 3,400 miles of the earth.  And a few years ago a tiny object was picked up before it entered the atmosphere and broke up over the Nubian Desert.  There are several observing programs to spot these near earth objects.

* Times are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan.  They may be different for your location.