If you've looked at the news today, you'd be forgiven for thinking a huge asteroid is on track to collide with Earth the day before the 2020 US Presidential election.
At least that's the takeaway from quite a few news outlets. And, understandably, some people are freaking out. In a year with a literal pandemic , an asteroid collision really just puts a cherry on the top of a Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad cake.
But we have good news for you! Despite the headlines , there's no need to worry about this particular asteroid – known as 2018VP1.
Check out this next:
Asteroid headed for Earth the day before Election Day
An asteroid is set to make a close-approach to Earth on April 29. (Credit: NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration/Facebook)
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CNN reports that scientists say they recently spotted an asteroid expected to zoom uncomfortably close to Earth on the day before Election Day.
The celestial object, known as 2018VP1, is roughly 6.5 feet in diameter and is expected to buzz Earth on November 2, according to the Center for Near Objects Studies at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Closest-ever asteroid to pass Earth and not hit it just squeaked by - CNET
ESA said the asteroid was small, measuring in at just a few meters across. That scientists spotted it at all shows that our ability to locate and track near-Earth objects is getting more sophisticated.
The asteroid's dainty size means it wasn't a serious threat, even if it had veered into the atmosphere. "Had it hit the Earth, it would not have caused any significant damage on the ground," ESA said.
Main Belt asteroid Psyche might be the remnant of a planet that never fully formed
Modeling impact structures on Psyche contributes to our understanding of metallic bodies and how cratering processes on large metal objects differ from those on rocky and icy bodies, she noted.
The team provides the first 3-D models of the formation of Psyche's largest impact crater, and it is the first work to use impact crater models to inform asteroid composition. The 2-D and 3-D models indicate an oblique impact angle where an incoming object would have struck the asteroid's surface, deforming Psyche in a very specific and predictable manner, given the likely materials involved.
Not to change the topic here:
Osiris-Rex mission on course for asteroid sample collection | Asteroids | The Guardian
The spacecraft is 288m km from Earth, in orbit around the asteroid Bennu. On 20 October it is scheduled to descend and touch the asteroid, where it will collect material from the surface.
Asteroids are ancient celestial objects that date from the formation of the solar system. They can therefore reveal the conditions in which our planet formed.
On 11 August the spacecraft approached Bennu to an altitude of approximately 40 metres above the designated collection site, and then backed away into its 1km-high safe-home orbit.
NASA says an asteroid is headed our way right before Election Day – Boston News, Weather,
Yep. The celestial object known as 2018VP1 is projected to come close to Earth on November 2, according to the Center for Near Earth Objects Studies at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. It was first identified at Palomar Observatory in California in 2018.
“Asteroid 2018VP1 is very small, approximately 6.5 feet, and poses no threat to Earth. If it were to enter our planet’s atmosphere, it would disintegrate due to its extremely small size,” NASA said in a statement. “NASA has been directed by Congress to discover 90% of the near-Earth asteroids larger than 140 meters (459 feet) in size and reports on asteroids of any size.”
No, These Asteroids Are Not Predicted To Collide With Earth This Year
There are videos on YouTube and being shared across social media warning of upcoming asteroid impacts with the Earth, and yet scientists don't seem so concerned.
So this little asteroid is the outlier case where we know it's coming for a visit, so there's time to stoke the online freak out machine.
That's because 2018 VP1 is estimated to be no wider than a few meters. An asteroid that size is likely to be almost completely burned up as it collides with our atmosphere.
OSIRIS-REx is One Rehearsal Away from Touching Asteroid Bennu | NASA
Happening on Twitter
Here's the real truth about today: Donald Trump saw all the coverage this weekend going to the recorded conversati… https://t.co/hXKpaiSf7D donwinslow (from Repped by Shane Salerno/The Story Factory) Sun Aug 23 22:16:18 +0000 2020
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