There are not one, not two, but 14 asteroids on track to pass Earth this week—one of which is 1,800 feet across, making it wider than the Empire State Building is tall.
According to CNEOS data , the object (2019 UO) is projected to fly by Earth at 9.4 kilometers per second on Friday January 10, 2020.
It is expected to do so at a minimum possible close-approach distance of 0.03376 astronomical units (au) or 13.07 lunar distance (LD), meaning it is a little over 13 times the Earth-Moon distance.
While you're here, how about this:
Asteroid alert: NASA tracks a hazardous 1800FT rock on Earth approach | Science | News |
Dubbed Asteroid 2019 UO, NASA’s trackers confirmed the rock’s trajectory in October 2019.
Since then, NASA has calculated the asteroid’s size, speed and orbit to determine whether it poses a threat to Earth.
Due to its impressive size and close brush with Earth, NASA’s astronomers dubbed 2019 UO a “potentially hazardous asteroid” or PHA.
NASA said: “Potentially hazardous asteroids are about 150 meters – almost 500ft – or larger, roughly twice as big as the Statue of Liberty is tall.”
Found: Crater From Asteroid Impact That Covered 10% of Earth's Surface in Debris | Discover
A flash of light would have come first, followed by a shockwave and massive earthquake. Only later would the hailstorm of black, glassy debris begun to fall, a rocky rain that would touch 10 percent of the planet's surface.
That's the scene that followed a massive asteroid impact 790,000 years ago. The remains it scattered, called tektites, have been found from Asia to Antarctica. For decades, scientists have searched for the elusive resting place of the impactor that coated the Earth with debris. Now, they may have finally found it.
Fossilized seashells show signs of ocean acidification before dinosaur-annihilating asteroid
"The Earth was clearly under stress before the major mass extinction event," said Andrew Jacobson, a senior author of the paper. "The asteroid impact coincides with pre-existing carbon cycle instability. But that doesn't mean we have answers to what actually caused the extinction."
The researchers examined shells collected from the Lopez de Bertodano Formation, a well-preserved, fossil-rich area on the west side of Seymour Island in Antarctica.
The researchers expected to see changes in the shells' composition, but were surprised by how quickly those changes happened. Understanding how the Earth responded to past extreme warming and CO 2 input can help us prepare for how the planet will respond to current, human-caused climate change, the scientists said.
While you're here, how about this:
Polk County astronomer part of team tracking asteroids headed toward Earth | WLOS
Dog Saves Baby Koala in Australia | Asharq AL-awsat
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The moon, Mars and beyond… the space race in 2020 | Science | The Guardian
S pace missions of a startling variety and ambition are scheduled for launch this year. Indeed, space engineers have not planned so much activity – for both manned and robot projects – since the heady days of the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union in the 1960s. At last, humanity is returning to explore the heavens with renewed vigour.
However, ExoMars has already been delayed by technical problems, and recent failures of its parachute system in trials have caused real concerns for engineers who fear they might have to delay the mission further. Improved chute systems – which will slow the craft down before retro-rockets eventually land the probe, gently, on Mars after its nine-month space journey – are being tested. It is too early to know whether they will be ready for this summer's launch, however.
Bushfires Have Driven Mass Extinctions on Earth Before. They Could Do It Again
The catastrophic bushfires raging across much of Australia have not only taken a huge human and economic toll, but also delivered heavy blows to biodiversity and ecosystem function.
Australia is one of only 17 " megadiverse " countries. Much of our species richness is concentrated in areas torched by the current bushfires.
While some mammals and birds face elevated extinction risk, things will be even worse for small, less mobile invertebrates (which make up the bulk of animal biodiversity).
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