Can you see the asteroid on the sky with your naked eyes?

Just curious. I was wandering on my lawn in middle of the night just waiting the asteroid to show up.

Abstraction · 61-69, M

Not asteroids. Meteorites though, all the time. You'll just see a sudden light streak in the sky as it burns up.

Asteroids are too small and too far away.

iamelijah · 26-30, M

@Abstraction Wait. Asteroid and meteorite are not the same thing?

Abstraction · 61-69, M

@iamelijah A meteor is any piece of space rock that enters the earth. An asteroid is a small to large rock that orbits the sun. Some meteors are asteroids that lost their way and end up coming here.

A meteorite is a rock that makes it all the way to earth without completely burning up.

MyaJhonston · 22-25, F

you can, but they either need to be very big and close, or very small and entering the atmosphere at high speed.

If you are very very lucky you get to see a big one entering the atmosphere. but those ones are very dangerous.

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MyaJhonston · 22-25, F

@iamelijah there are regular times where you can see small meteors fly across the sky at night.
but the large ones like the gif above where one came in over russia and shattered before hitting the ground, those ones are so rare you will likely never see one in person in your lifetime.

iamelijah · 26-30, M

@MyaJhonston Idk why witnessing something like this will makes me happy. I mean, it's not always to see meteors clearly at peaceful night.

I only saw once in my life when I was 9. The best thing ever.

MyaJhonston · 22-25, F

@iamelijah I've seen a bunch. just the tiny streaks at night.

SethGreene531 · M

Dont think so, that would be cool. But Meteors can be a small piece of an asteroid, some put on quite a show. Almost the next best thing.
Seen many through the years, including near fireballs that fizzle out, trailing embers like a flicked cigarette butt.
https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/asteroid-or-meteor/en/

Jul -September, then October, are great times for meteor showers. https://www.almanac.com/content/meteor-shower-calendar

Theres sites allowing you to even see man-made, potential meteors, buzzing around earth. They wind up coming back in large flaming chunks. Rocket boosters, satellites tanks, etc. Those u can see.

http://www.stuffin.space/
https://www.satview.org/

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhBw5yaR_SU]
MIR space station Fiji
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h902KJb0cfE

stound

if you can, its likely the last thing you'd ever see at all.

iamelijah · 26-30, M

@stound You mean 2001 FO32 cannot see with out naked eyes?

stound

@iamelijah certainly not my naked eyes; I do well to see the moon. @iamelijah according to https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/asteroid-2001-fo32-will-safely-pass-by-earth-march-21, its tiny fractions of the moons size and more than 5 times farther out.

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