File:418872main wise20100122-full.jpg

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English: The red dot at the center of this image is the first near-Earth asteroid discovered by NASA's Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE.

2010 AB78, is roughly one kilometer (0.6 miles) in diameter, and is currently about 158 million kilometers (98 million miles) away from Earth. Its elliptical-shaped orbit takes it out beyond Mars and back in about as close to the sun as Earth. Because the asteroid's orbit is tilted relative to the plane of our solar system, astronomers do not think it poses a hazard to our planet. As with all near-Earth objects, 2010 AB78 will continue to be monitored.

The image shows three infrared wavelengths, with red representing the longest wavelength of 12 microns, and green and blue showing 4.6- and 3.4-micron light, respectively. The asteroid appears redder than the rest of the background stars because it is cooler and emits most of its light at longer infrared wavelengths. In visible light, this space rock is very faint and difficult to see.

WISE, which began its all-sky survey on Jan. 14, 2010, is expected to find about one hundred thousand previously undiscovered asteroids in the Main Belt between Mars and Jupiter, and hundreds of new near-Earth asteroids. It will also spot millions of new stars and galaxies.
Français : Première photo d'un astéroïde géocroiseur (point rouge au centre la photo), c'est à dire dont l'orbite croise celle de la Terre, prise par le télescope spatial WISE. 2010 AB78 a environ 1 km de diamètre et est situé à 158 millions de km de la Terre au moment de la photo. Son orbite elliptique croise celle de la Terre mais ne semble pas présenter de danger pour celle-ci du fait de l'inclinaison de son plan orbital. La photo a été prise pour 3 longueurs d'ondes dans l'infrarouge : 12 microns (rouge), 4,6 et 3,4 microns (bleu et vert). L'astéroïde plus froid que les autres objets célestes figurant sur la photo (étoiles) émet sur une longueur d'onde plus longue et apparait en rouge. En lumière visible l'astéroïde serait très difficile à distinguer.
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Source http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/WISE/multimedia/wise20100122.html
Author NASA JPL

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23 January 2010

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current14:38, 23 January 2010Thumbnail for version as of 14:38, 23 January 20101,464 × 1,464 (322 KB)Pline{{Information |Description={{en|1=The red dot at the center of this image is the first near-Earth asteroid discovered by NASA's Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE. 010 AB78, is roughly one kilometer (0.6 miles) in diameter, and is currently ab

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