NASA to study asteroid, potential threat

Unmanned craft to collect samples from passing object, one which could devastate Earth in 22nd century

Destructive asteroid impacts occurring at alarming rate

Scientists warn city-sized blast-zones commonplace in last decade, with more to come.

Persistent sunspot expanding, ejects intense flare

Scientists were surprised to learn last night that Sunspot AR1990 is not only still active, but appears to be getting stronger. It announced itself yesterday by ejecting a powerful X4.9-Class solar flare, which is the largest recorded in nearly two years. The spot, which has been growing from its initial discovery in early January, is now estimated to be the size of Jupiter.

Solar storm approaching Earth

The Sun has targeted Earth this week, ejecting a pair of solar storms our direction. The coronal mass ejections (CMEs) were blasted from our local star over the 21st and 22nd of August, and are expected to arrive sometime today through tomorrow. Scientists believe there is a potential for interruptions in satellite and radio signals, though widespread power-grid issues are not considered likely.

This pair is the latest CMEs to threaten our electronic infrastructure over the past few years, due to the sun approaching its peak in the current solar weather cycle. These cycles, 11 years in length, are helping researchers better understand the ebbs and flows of solar flares; they assert we should reach our zenith for this cycle later this year, at which point solar activity should begin to wane. As to the immediate situation, scientists are forecasting a 30% to 40% chance of 'active' geomagnetic storms over the next 48 hours.

The biggest solar storm ever recorded occurred in 1859. Known as the Carrington Event, it caused widespread issues with telegraph lines, sparking structural fires and shocking telegraph operators. The most serious recent storm happened in March 1989, which took down an entire power-grid in Canada, leaving 6 million residents in Quebec without power for nine hours.

New asteroid in Earth fly-by

Asteroid 2013-QR1 is expected to make a pass by earth on August 25th. Discovered a mere 5 days ago by a survey in Hawaii, the object is estimated to be 755 feet (230 meters) wide and is projected to come within 8.3 LD of our planet.

In an August 8, 2013 report here on The Apocalyst, I noted that there were no 'known' near-earth objects expected for the next several months. 2013-QR1 is a reminder of how stealth these bodies can be, and how quickly they can appear in our scopes, with little-to-zero advance notice.

While any near-earth object is considered 'potentially hazardous,' the risk presented by 2013-QR1 is considered by scientists to be minute.

Note: 1 'LD' equals the distance from here to the moon, approximately 239,000 miles (384,000 kilometers).

Dust cloud from asteroid circled Earth

Scientists with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) released details yesterday of the bus-sized asteroid which exploded over Russia last February. Apparently the space rock, which dramatically erupted while airborne, deposited a large cloud of celestial dust into the atmosphere. That cloud, containing finely-ground debris in the hundreds of tons, circled the earth in just four days.

The incident was caused when an 11,000 metric-ton piece of asteroid EO40 entered our atmosphere and exploded 15 miles above the city of Chelyabinsk. The blast, 30 times the magnitude of the Hiroshima nuclear strike of 1945, was heard for miles and shattered windows in the Russian township; it is now considered the most extreme 'near-earth object' event since the infamous Tunguska explosion of 1908.

Some outside of NASA have expressed concerns about what was discovered, not only regarding the volume of debris left behind by such a small object, but the rapidity with which it traveled around the globe. Fears are being raised that a similar incident - with a slightly-larger object - could have untold, cataclysmic global results.

Observation: This incident occurred without any advanced warning; if a larger object were able to do the same, and no official preparations were possible, the effect could be sudden... and disastrous - SB.

Small asteroid to pass by Earth

Asteroid 2005 WK4 is making a pass by our planet today through tomorrow. The celestial body, which is over 4.5 football fields wide (1,378 feet), will pass within 8.1 LD of Earth. While fairly close in astrological terms, scientists see no threat from the asteroid.

According to known data this is the last near-Earth object expected to pass within 10 LD of our planet for the next several months. While not uncommon, to have no known near-passes on the foreseeable calendar is - at the very least - unusual, making its fly-by worthy of note.

Note: 1 'LD' equals the distance from here to the moon, approximately 239,000 miles (384,000 kilometers).