Starlyte Posted October 17, 2003 #1 Share Posted October 17, 2003 Astronomers have seen a large asteroid that they first found 66 years ago and then lost in the depths of space. Back again, a cosmic return It is called Hermes and it entered the record books by making a close approach to the Earth, just beyond the Moon. But after only five days, it was lost because of the Sun's glare. Despite searches, it was never seen again. Now scientists have spotted it once more - a faint dot in images taken by an observatory in Arizona. It was soon recognised as lost Hermes by its orbit. Out of the darkness Hermes was discovered by Karl Reinmuth at Heidelberg, Germany, on 28 October 1937. He tracked it for only five days and then lost it. It became famous because it passed within 800,000 kilometres of the Earth - two Earth-Moon distances. But after 66 years in the dark, Hermes is back. Early on 15 October, Brian Skiff of the Lowell Observatory in Arizona, US, found it again. At first, he did not realise it was Hermes. "Since we find new near-Earth asteroids fairly regularly (I found, for instance, two other small asteroids also last night), my only reaction upon finding it was that it was unusually bright," he told BBC News Online. Full Article LINK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benjo Koolzooie Posted October 17, 2003 #2 Share Posted October 17, 2003 That is a intresting article Starlyte! Thanks for that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isanguard Posted October 17, 2003 #3 Share Posted October 17, 2003 so the The Hermes back to actio huh...hope this time, they wont lost the sight of the Hermes again... Thanks starlyte for the news...Good one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpaceyKC Posted October 18, 2003 #4 Share Posted October 18, 2003 Great find starlyte, I certainly hope it passes us by again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benjo Koolzooie Posted October 19, 2003 #5 Share Posted October 19, 2003 It is amazing that they can identify a rock in space. They all look the same to me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Engulf Posted October 19, 2003 #6 Share Posted October 19, 2003 It is amazing that they can identify a rock in space. They all look the same to me! Exactly,maybe that particular 'rock' isn't Hermes afterall Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benjo Koolzooie Posted October 19, 2003 #7 Share Posted October 19, 2003 Haha. Perhaps not! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pickled~Tacos Posted October 19, 2003 #8 Share Posted October 19, 2003 maybe its just a bunch of wishful thinking and lack of creativity of creating a new name for another rock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quaneeri Posted October 23, 2003 #9 Share Posted October 23, 2003 If a giant asteroid ever gets on collision course with earth god help us, they would probably lose sight of it in the sun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athlon64 Posted October 23, 2003 #10 Share Posted October 23, 2003 That is excellent news. I have wanted Hermes to be recovered for years, since it is a rather dangerous object to be wandering around the inner Solar System unseen. It made a very close approach to Earth in 1937, and it can therefore do so again. Chris Low. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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