NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

JPL's Dr. Don Yeomans. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Scientists at NASA's Near-Earth Object Program Office at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., have been monitoring asteroid 2007 TU24, which will pass about 344,000 miles of Earth tomorrow (Jan. 29) at 3:33 a.m. Eastern time (12:33 a.m. Pacific time).

The scientists have determined that there is no possibility of an impact with Earth in the foreseeable future.

Asteroid 2007 TU24 was discovered by the NASA-sponsored Catalina Sky Survey on Oct. 11, 2007.

During this close approach, amateur astronomers with apertures of at least three inches should be able to see the asteroid as a dot on the sky.

For more information, visit http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov . An overview of the Near-Earth Object Program Office is at http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/neo .

CUT 1 - DONALD YEOMANS, MANAGER OF NASA'S NEAR-EARTH OBJECT PROGRAM OFFICE AT THE JET PROPULSION LABORATORY WANTS PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT THIS ASTEROID IS NOT A THREAT TO EARTH.
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Running time: :20
Out: "this close."
Transcript: "There have been some notices on the Internet that have been very incorrect and very misleading. We've pointed out time and time again, that the object is not a threat. It cannot approach the Earth in a threatening manner. It's simply a magnificent scientific opportunity to observe an asteroid this size, this close."

CUT 2 - DONALD YEOMANS SAYS YOU MIGHT CATCH A GLIMPSE OF THE ASTEROID -- IF YOU HAVE THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT.
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Running time: :14
OUT: "clear skies."
Transcript: "It's going to be 10th magnitude, which is about 50 times fainter than you can see with the naked eye, but if amateur astronomers have a smallish telescope, three inches in aperture or larger, they can observe it, if they have clear skies."

CUT 3 - DONALD YEOMANS DESCRIBES HOW NASA DETECTS, DISCOVERS AND TRACKS THESE OBJECTS
OUT: "something about."
Transcript: "NASA is doing their part by running four full-time observatory campaigns to detect, discover and track these objects, so it's one of the few natural disasters we can do something about."
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