# If 2012 DA14 did hit Earth.... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 11, 2013, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-2012-da14-did-hit-earth/649944 "2013-02-11T05:31:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![whc.03grady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a6a055/32.png) [@whc.03grady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whc.03grady)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2013, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-2012-da14-did-hit-earth/649944/1 "2013-02-11T05:31:50Z")
It won’t, but if the calculations were off and it did, do we have a rough idea of _where_? I suppose it depends on _how_ the calculations were off. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2013, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-2012-da14-did-hit-earth/649944/2 "2013-02-11T17:49:28Z")
The closest approach appears to be over the Indian Ocean (approximately 6° S by 97.5° E per a NASA estimate). The nearest landmass to that point appears to be Sumatra. The size of the asteroid is such that it would probably disintegrate in the atmosphere, albeit with an impressive conversion of kinetic energy in a massive thermal blast and attendant shockwave, but it would be unlikely to generate a significant tsunami or other seismic effects. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-2012-da14-did-hit-earth/649944/3 "2013-02-13T07:45:29Z")
Hijacking: NASA (via [Astronomy.com](http://Astronomy.com)) says [http://www.astronomy.com/~/link.aspx?\_id=dfefa5e9-cd1e-4d0d-a81c-0a8b67308c7a](http://www.astronomy.com/~/link.aspx?_id=dfefa5e9-cd1e-4d0d-a81c-0a8b67308c7a)]says 2012 DA14 will pass 17,200 miles away from Earth. Is that figure calculated from the center or surface of our planet? ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-2012-da14-did-hit-earth/649944/4 "2013-02-13T12:50:37Z")
[Fixed link](http://www.astronomy.com/~/link.aspx?_id=dfefa5e9-cd1e-4d0d-a81c-0a8b67308c7a). A [page linked to](http://www.astronomy.com/en/News-Observing/News/2013/02/Small%20asteroid%20to%20whiz%20past%20Earth%20safely.aspx) from that one says > [@](#): > > Asteroid 2012 DA14 will be closest to Earth on February 15 at about 2:24 p.m. EST, when it will be at a distance of about 17,200 miles (27,700 kilometers) **above Earth’s surface**. ---
**Author:** ![Michael63129](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3da27b/32.png) [@Michael63129](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael63129)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-2012-da14-did-hit-earth/649944/5 "2013-02-13T20:28:28Z")
The [Impact Earth](http://www.purdue.edu/impactearth/) calculator suggests that even if it hit a major city the damage wouldn’t be too severe since most of it would break up before it reached the ground; a few pieces might make it, with the main effect being a boom and 100 mph shock wave: > [@](#): > > The projectile begins to breakup at an altitude of 59900 meters = 196000 ft > The projectile bursts into a cloud of fragments at an altitude of 10200 meters = 33300 ft. > The residual velocity of the projectile fragments after the burst is 7.72 km/s = 4.79 miles/s. > The energy of the airburst is 2.19 x 10^16 Joules = 5.24 x 10^0 MegaTons. > No crater is formed, although large fragments may strike the surface. > > The air blast will arrive approximately 30.9 seconds after impact. > Peak Overpressure: 22300 Pa = 0.223 bars = 3.17 psi > Max wind velocity: 48.2 m/s = 108 mph > Sound Intensity: 87 dB (Loud as heavy traffic) > > Damage Description: > Glass windows will shatter. > About 30 percent of trees blown down; remainder have some branches and leaves blown off. > > [Distance: 1 km (minimum distance); wind speed drops to 81 mph at 10 km] ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-2012-da14-did-hit-earth/649944/6 "2013-02-13T20:48:43Z")
I doubt it would be visible from Earth because of its small size but is there any chance of getting photos of it from our satellites with Earth in the background? That would make a cool desktop pic. ---
**Author:** ![anson2995](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@anson2995](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anson2995)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-2012-da14-did-hit-earth/649944/7 "2013-02-13T21:01:31Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > I doubt it would be visible from Earth because of its small size but is there any chance of getting photos of it from our satellites with Earth in the background? That would make a cool desktop pic. The article **ZenBeam** linked says: “The asteroid will fly by our planet quite rapidly, at a speed of about 17,400 mph (28,000 km/h) in a south-to-north direction with respect to Earth.” So it’s gonna be a blurry picture. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-2012-da14-did-hit-earth/649944/8 "2013-02-13T21:06:04Z")
[What Would Happen if Asteroid 2012 DA14 Hit Earth?](http://news.yahoo.com/happen-asteroid-2012-da14-hit-earth-132801477.html;_ylt=Ao2zO3lW3qGl_NGd_78g2ex7hMgF;_ylu=X3oDMTRncXNrc3FvBG1pdANUb3BTdG9yeSBTY2llbmNlU0YgRGlub3NhdXJzRm9zc2lsc1NTRgRwa2cDMTkyOTU5ZjktZmY1YS0zNTUzLTgyNWItYjIyYTE1MTEzZGEwBHBvcwMyBHNlYwN0b3Bfc3RvcnkEdmVyAzMwMjU5ZGUxLTc1MTktMTFlMi05ZmZmLTQ0YzhjNWFlMGFhYw--;_ylg=X3oDMTJsZWxrMXBwBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdANzY2llbmNlfGRpbm9zYXVycy1mb3NzaWxzBHB0A3NlY3Rpb25zBHRlc3QDVGVzdF9BRkM-;_ylv=3) ---
**Author:** ![Michael63129](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3da27b/32.png) [@Michael63129](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael63129)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-2012-da14-did-hit-earth/649944/9 "2013-02-13T21:19:06Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > [What Would Happen if Asteroid 2012 DA14 Hit Earth?](http://news.yahoo.com/happen-asteroid-2012-da14-hit-earth-132801477.html;_ylt=Ao2zO3lW3qGl_NGd_78g2ex7hMgF;_ylu=X3oDMTRncXNrc3FvBG1pdANUb3BTdG9yeSBTY2llbmNlU0YgRGlub3NhdXJzRm9zc2lsc1NTRgRwa2cDMTkyOTU5ZjktZmY1YS0zNTUzLTgyNWItYjIyYTE1MTEzZGEwBHBvcwMyBHNlYwN0b3Bfc3RvcnkEdmVyAzMwMjU5ZGUxLTc1MTktMTFlMi05ZmZmLTQ0YzhjNWFlMGFhYw--;_ylg=X3oDMTJsZWxrMXBwBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdANzY2llbmNlfGRpbm9zYXVycy1mb3NzaWxzBHB0A3NlY3Rpb25zBHRlc3QDVGVzdF9BRkM-;_ylv=3) That article seems to suggest that it would cause a Tunguska-type event, but the Impact Earth calculator suggests a much milder event; for comparison, they give an airblast of 600+ mph (at 1 km) for the [Tunguska event](http://www.purdue.edu/impactearth/Home/FamousCraters), which is far greater despite being only about 1.33 times bigger, using their size of 60 m, twice what the Yahoo article gives (in diameter, 2.4 times the volume/weight if of the same composition). ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-2012-da14-did-hit-earth/649944/10 "2013-02-14T18:50:13Z")
Looks like it will be [televised](http://www.ottawacitizen.com/technology/Asteroid+flyby+will+broadcast+live+NASA/7964434/story.html) live at [NASA Live - NASA](http://www.nasa.gov/ntv) tomorrow at 2:00 P.M. > [@](#): > > The half-hour broadcast from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California will be animated, and it will continually update the exact location of the asteroid as it approaches. > [@](#): > > If the weather co-operates, it will also show live photos of the asteroid flying over, from observatories in Australia.