http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/asteroid-2014-hq124-watch-half-mile-wide-minor-planet-zip-past-earth-live-online-1451270

Asteroid 2014 HQ124: Watch 'Half-Mile Wide' Minor Planet Zip Past Earth Live Online
By Lydia Smith
June 4, 2014 15:21 BST

A large asteroid is set to fly by Earth on 8 June, travelling at a speed of 31,000mph.

According to Space.com, current estimates show that Asteroid 2014 HQ124, was detected in April by Nasa's Wise telescope.

While it is not unusual for asteroids to fly past Earth, or just outside the orbit of the moon, it is less common to discover a previously unknown celestial object of that size. According to Nasa, the Minor Planet Center has classified 2014 HQ124 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid".

The asteroid is inclined to the plane of the solar system by 26 degrees and is currently at -71 degrees inclination. It is out of reach of all but most southern telescopes.

On 6 June 2014 the asteroid will brighten to about apparent magnitude 13.7 and be in Horologium, a small and faint constellation in the southern sky.

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Near the closest approach to Earth on 8 June, the asteroid will cross the celestial equator to become a northern hemisphere object but will have an elongation of about 20 degrees from the Sun.

The asteroid could be visually lost in astronomical twilight during the closest approach to Earth, but it will be visible online. It will be broadcast online via the Slooh Space Camera and the Goldstone Deep Space Network.

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http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2014/06/05/watch-as-the-beast-asteroid-sails-past-earth-this-week/

Watch as ‘the Beast’ Asteroid Sails Past Earth This Week
Posted by Andrew Fazekas in StarStruck on June 5, 2014

A giant asteroid will silently glide by Earth this week, a stark reminder of cosmic dangers lurking nearby .

Measuring about 1,067 feet (325 meters) wide, the space intruder nicknamed “the Beast,” more formally known as HQ124, has an estimated width equal to an aircraft carrier (earlier estimates had been even larger). It will be three lunar distances away from Earth at its closest approach on Thursday, so thankfully there is no risk to our planet.

However, it’s a big one and we didn’t notice its approach until April 23. While it’s nothing new, thanks to dedicated telescope surveys, to hear about asteroids whizzing past Earth or the moon, it is unusual to see such a large one go unnoticed for so long.

NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer picked up its movement against a fixed backdrop of stars, traveling at approximately 31,000 miles per hour (50,400 kilometers per hour).

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