Comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge, asteroid 231937 or 2001 FO32, will pass within 2,016,351 km of Earth in 2021
The largest asteroid to fly past the Earth in 2021 is set to make a close approach to the planet on March 21.
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has classified 2001 FO32 as a "potentially hazardous asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.
Bodies larger than about 100 metre in size cause ground-level explosions in the giga-ton, or billions of tons, range. Such impacts would devastate whole countries. There is about a 1 per cent chance that such an impact will occur in the next century.
Quite a lot has been going on:
Asteroid as big as the Great Pyramid of Giza set to pass Earth tomorrow | Science | News |
The asteroid 2019 YP5 is making a close approach to Earth, with NASA confirming it will safely fly by tomorrow. The asteroid is moving past Earth at a speed of 13.5 kilometres per second. That translates to more than 48,000 kilometres per hour, meaning it could orbit Earth in less than an hour.
* * *
The asteroid belongs to the Aten group of space rocks, which are asteroids which have an orbit with a close proximity to Earth.
However, NASA designated the asteroid as an Near Earth Object (NEO), which allows the space agency to study it.
OSIRIS-REx to Fly a Farewell Tour of Bennu | NASA
NASA One Step Away From Exploring the Asteroid Psyche 16 Whose Value Exceeds Thousands of Times
NASA's Psyche mission is progressing considerably. Just a year and a half from launch to explore the most valuable asteroid, they are already about to assemble and test the spacecraft that will make it possible.
After checking that all is well, the components will now go to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which manages the mission, tests, assembles and integrates each part.
“It's really the final phase, when all the pieces of the puzzle come together and we're getting on the rocket. This is the most intense part of everything that happens on the ground, ”said Lindy Elkins-Tanton of Arizona State University, who leads the mission.
And here's another article:
The scientist who helped NASA catch an asteroid | U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Italy
Humberto Campins was born and raised in Venezuela and has loved astronomy since he was a child. "Staring at the night sky, I would feel a sensation that it was so beautiful and there was so much to learn," he said.
When it came time for university, there was nowhere in Venezuela where Campins could major in astronomy, so he immigrated to the United States. He graduated from the University of Kansas in 1977, and went on to earn his doctorate in planetary science at the University of Arizona. He became a U.S. citizen in 1989.
Biggest known asteroid is passing by Earth on March 21
Asteroid 231937 or 2001 FO32 is estimated to be about 1.7 kilometers in diameter, almost the same length as the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Traveling at about 34.4 km per second, it is known to be one of the fastest space rocks to fly by Earth. Although it travels in great speed and its orbit is well known, NASA assures that it poses no risk of impact.
* * *
While FO32 is 97 percent larger than the other asteroids, it is not going to be visible to the naked eye. However, since it has the potential to make a close approach to Earth by about 2,016,351 km, NASA classified it as "potential hazardous asteroid". Potential Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs) are defined based on asteroid's potential to make a close threatening approach to the Earth.
First Mission to the Trojan Asteroids Installs its Final Instrument | NASA
Largest Asteroid of 2021 to Zoom Past Earth in March, Closest Approach in 200 Years
A ‘potentially hazardous asteroid’ is all set to zoom past Earth on March 21, 2021. Unlike many other celestial objects which sweep past our planet, this one is potentially hazardous as it’s the largest and the fastest asteroid which will pass by Earth in 2021. According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the object named Asteroid 2001 FO32 does not pose the risk of impact and its orbit is well-known.
As reported by Earth Sky , the asteroid which will be moving at a speed of 21 miles (34.4 km) per second will come closest to Earth on March 21. The diameter of Asteroid 2001 FO32 is about 1 kilometre. This phenomenon will happen at 9:33 pm IST (11:03 am ET). Even at its closest, FO32 will be about 1.3 million miles (2,016,351 km) or 5 lunar distances away.
Happening on Twitter
Mark the date in your calendars 🙃☄️ https://t.co/90hU570TSh ladbible Sun Feb 07 18:44:56 +0000 2021
No comments:
Post a Comment