The Sky May Be Falling

To the rest of the universe, it might register as a puny event, but a mile-wide asteroid’s close encounter with Earth in the year 2028 is pretty big news down here. That’s why it’s essential to come up with a better name for the big chunk of rock. Let’s face it: “Humanity decimated by 1997 XF11” would be an artless epitaph. XF11 sounds like something for foot odor.

If this thing was a comet it would have a name by now, maybe a cult following too. Even a galaxy too far out to be seen by anything except the Hubble Space Telescope would have a decent name. Problem is, this near-Earth-asteroid and “potentially hazardous object” stuff is something of a backwater of astronomy.

Darned few people are scanning the heavens to warn us of unexpected interstellar express mail. “You could gather everyone around the world who’s dedicated to this work and fit them into a single McDonald’s,” said Joe Montani, a senior research specialist with the Spacewatch Project at the University of Arizona.

The Spacewatch estimate is that XF11 could come within 30,000 miles of Earth, but the project has too little data to be certain. Jet Propulsion Lab scientists put the pass at no closer than 600,000 miles--no threat at all. That’s a big difference, and scientists are seeking more observation records. XF11 was recorded previously, and that will help refine projections.

By the way, XF11 is expected to come through the neighborhood at 10:30 a.m. Pacific Standard Time, on a Thursday. At least it wouldn’t hit during rush hour.