A giant asteroid just safely zoomed past Earth overnight
An asteroid the size of a building has been orbiting our planet since the night of Monday (May 9) and at a very safe distance, like all giant space rocks. other we know.
According to data from the Center for Near Earth Object Studies at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the asteroid, officially known as 467460 (2006 JF42), lies within 14 Earth-Moon distances. with our planet. In real terms, it is about 3.5 million miles (5.7 million km) from our planet.
The asteroid’s trajectory (estimated at 1,247 feet to 2,822 feet, or 380 to 860 meters) is symbolic of the constant change in our solar system. Our neighborhood is filled with asteroids and comets that are constantly moving around us. That said, NASA is keeping a close eye on what covers our planet.
Their Planetary Defense Coordination Office monitors the skies with a telescope, and you can check out upcoming highlights and the agency’s Small Object Database for more rock information spatial.
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Although NASA classifies some asteroids as “potentially hazardous,” that designation is not cause for panic. The term arose from a complicated calculation involving size (greater than 492 feet or 150 m) and the distance the object approached Earth, among other factors.
There is no known threat to Earth despite decades of searching. Although NASA has a list of asteroids that NASA monitors for its very small and uncountable impact potential, none of these asteroids is a pressing concern.
That list is also updated from time to time, such as the removal of the asteroid Apophis from the list in 2021 after new observations showed it did not pose any threat to Earth in the future. next 100 years.
Scientists are becoming more adept at finding asteroids as large as 2006 JF42 as telescope technology improves, which is why there seem to be a lot of space rocks passing through them. us today. While NASA isn’t worried about our current list of asteroids, it does strategically implement defensive, precautionary technologies.
One example is the Dual Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission to defeat an asteroid later this year to redirect its path around the asteroid, in order to demonstrate kinetic impact technology. against potential asteroid threats.
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https://www.space.com/giant-asteroid-safe-flyby-may-9 A giant asteroid just safely zoomed past Earth overnight
