JPL
Careers
Education
Science & Technology
JPL Logo
JPL Logo
Asteroids and Comets
.

NASA Radar Images Asteroid 2007 PA8

Nov. 5, 2012
This composite image of asteroid 2007 PA8 was obtained using data taken by NASA's 230-foot-wide (70-meter) Deep Space Network antenna at Goldstone, Calif. The composite incorporates images generated from data collected at Goldstone on Oct. 28, 29, and 30, 2012.› Larger image
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Gemini

Scientists working with NASA's 230-foot-wide (70-meter) Deep Space Network antenna at Goldstone, Calif., have obtained several radar images depicting near-Earth asteroid 2007 PA8.

Scientists working with NASA's 230-foot-wide (70-meter) Deep Space Network antenna at Goldstone, Calif., have obtained several radar images depicting near-Earth asteroid 2007 PA8. The images were generated from data collected at Goldstone on Oct. 28, 29 and 30, 2012. The asteroid's distance from Earth on Oct. 28 was 6.5 million miles (10 million kilometers). The asteroid's distance to Earth was 5.6 million miles (9 million kilometers) on Oct. 30. The perspective in the images is analogous to seeing the asteroid from above its north pole. Each of the three images is shown at the same scale.

The radar images of asteroid 2007 PA8 indicate that it is an elongated, irregularly shaped object approximately one mile (1.6 kilometers) wide, with ridges and perhaps craters. The data also indicate that 2007 PA8 rotates very slowly, roughly once every three to four days.

JPL scientists chose to image asteroid 2007 PA8 due to its size and relative proximity to Earth at the point of closest approach. On Nov. 5 at 8:42 a.m. PST (11:42 a.m. EST /16:42 UTC), the space rock was about four million miles (6.5 million kilometers) from Earth, or 17 times the distance between Earth and the moon. The trajectory of asteroid 2007 PA8 is well understood. This flyby was the closest Earth approach by this asteroid for at least the next 200 years.

NASA detects, tracks and characterizes asteroids and comets passing close to Earth using both ground- and space-based telescopes. The Near-Earth Object Observations Program, commonly called "Spaceguard," discovers these objects, characterizes a subset of them, and plots their orbits to determine if any could be potentially hazardous to our planet.

JPL manages the Near-Earth Object Program Office for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

More information about asteroids and near-Earth objects is at: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/asteroidwatch . More information about asteroid radar research is at: http://echo.jpl.nasa.gov/ . More information about the Deep Space Network is at: http://deepspace.jpl.nasa.gov/dsn .

News Media Contact

DC Agle

Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.

818-393-9011

agle@jpl.nasa.gov

2012-350

Related News

Solar System .

Engineers Investigating NASA’s Voyager 1 Telemetry Data

Mars .

NASA’s InSight Still Hunting Marsquakes as Power Levels Diminish

Earth .

NASA’s ECOSTRESS Detects ‘Heat Islands’ in Extreme Indian Heat Wave

Climate Change .

International Satellite to Track Impacts of Small Ocean Currents

Mars .

NASA to Provide Update on InSight Mars Lander

Mars .

Science at Sunrise: Solving the Mystery of Frost Hiding on Mars

Asteroids and Comets .

NASA’s Psyche Starts Processing at Kennedy

Earth .

From Weather Forecasting to Climate Change, NASA’s AIRS Builds a Legacy

Mars .

NASA’s Mars Helicopter Scouts Ridgeline for Perseverance Science Team

Climate Change .

NASA’s EMIT Will Map Tiny Dust Particles to Study Big Climate Impacts

Explore More

Event Aug. 18, 2022 .

Voyager – 45 Years in Space

Event July 21, 2022 .

Curiosity – A Decade on Mars

Event June 23, 2022 .

Spacecraft Assembly, Test, and Launch Operations (ATLO)

Mission .

Near Earth Asteroid Scout

Image .

Lake Ohrid, Macedonia-Albania

Image .

EMIT Inside SpaceX Falcon 9 Trunk Ahead of Transport

Image .

EMIT Loaded Into SpaceX Falcon 9 Trunk Before Transport

Image .

ECOSTRESS Detects Heat Islands in Indian Heat Wave

Image .

Global Mineral Dust Source Regions to Be Measured by EMIT

Image .

EMIT's Components Come Together at JPL

About JPL
Who We Are
Executive Council
Directors
Careers
Internships
The JPL Story
JPL Achievements
Documentary Series
Annual Reports
Missions
Current
Past
Future
All
News
All
Earth
Solar System
Stars and Galaxies
Subscribe to JPL News
Galleries
Images
Videos
Audio
Podcasts
Apps
Visions of the Future
Slice of History
Robotics at JPL
Events
Lecture Series
Team Competitions
Speakers Bureau
Calendar
Visit
Public Tours
Virtual Tour
Topics
JPL Life
Solar System
Mars
Earth
Climate Change
Exoplanets
Stars and Galaxies
Robotics
More
Asteroid Watch
NASA's Eyes Visualizations
Universe - Internal Newsletter
Social Media
Get the Latest from JPL
Follow Us

JPL is a federally funded research and development center managed for NASA by Caltech.

More from JPL
Careers Education Science & Technology Acquisitions JPL Store
Careers
Education
Science & Technology
Acquisitions
JPL Store
Related NASA Sites
Basics of Spaceflight
Climate Kids
Earth / Global Climate Change
Exoplanet Exploration
Mars Exploration
Solar System Exploration
Space Place
NASA's Eyes Visualization Project
Voyager Interstellar Mission
NASA
Caltech
Privacy
Image Policy
FAQ
Feedback
Site Managers: Veronica McGregor, Randal Jackson
Site Editors: Tony Greicius, Naomi Hartono