"This was an extraordinary opportunity to investigate the physical properties and obtain detailed images of a near-Earth asteroid."

All three asteroids were captured by NASA's Goldstone Solar System Radar, a 230-foot-wide (70-meter) radio antenna near Barstow, California. NASA scientists beamed radio waves at the objects, and the reflected signals bounced back.

MK nor 2011 UL21, as the asteroids are named, came close enough to pose a hazard, but both were within range of radar imaging systems. So NASA got a few happy snaps to mark the occasion. These are more than just asteroid flyby souvenirs.

MT1, a near-Earth object approximately 260 feet (about 79 meters) in size, has been of the most interest to scientists. It is classified as a potentially hazardous asteroid due to its significant size and the relatively close distance at which it will pass by Earth.

NASA’s radar located in the remote Mojave Desert has successfully captured high-resolution images of formidable asteroids, including a massive one-mile-wide behemoth, as they passed by our planet’s neighborhood.

NASA has just released various new images detailing the two different — and very large — asteroids that flew close to Earth last week. These images will further help NASA study near-Earth objects (NEOs),

Scientists tracked two close approaches by large space rocks. The post Asteroid nearly a mile-wide just missed Earth appeared first on Talker.