NEOWISE detects new asteroids

Newly awakened, the NEOWISE cruise ship immediately spotted an asteroid that has long been hovering near the Earth but has never been detected.

Movement map of 2013 YP139 compared to Earth - (Photo: NASA)

The Wide Field Infrared Survey Train The Earth Close Object (NEOWISE) has found an asteroid near the globe, named 2013 YP139, after being awakened on December 29, 2013.

According to Space.com, 2013 YP139 is about 43.45 million kilometers from Earth. Based on its infrared brightness, these asteroid scientists estimate about 640m in diameter.

NEOWISE was originally called the Wide School Infrared Exploration Ship (WISE), which is still a tool to help study the most asteroids and comets.

It was deactivated in 2011 after completing its original mission, but recently the US Department of Aeronautics and Space (NASA) decided to reactivate the machine and give it a new name.

NASA also said NEOWISE could also support the classification of previously discovered asteroids, in order to provide the most potential candidates for the mission to land on the asteroid surface.