3huge asteroids will pass Earth this week, two of which may be dangerous
Our universe is filled with an unknown number of recalcitrant space rocks that follow paths that not all of us can follow, and many of them are in fact heading towards our planet, some of which could even crash into the Earth.
According to the US Space Agency, three massive asteroids, two of which are "potentially dangerous", will cross Earth's orbit around the sun this week.
However, there is no cause for concern given that the closest distance of these asteroids from Earth will be 2.2 million miles (3.5 million km), or about 10 times the average distance between the Earth and the Moon, according to NASA.
On Monday, February 27, an asteroid called 2012 DK31 passed near our planet at a distance of about 3 million miles (4.8 million kilometers).
The width of this asteroid is 450 feet (137 meters), or equivalent to the width of a skyscraper of approximately 40 floors, and its orbit around the sun crosses Earth's orbit every few years.
Although this space rock does not pose an imminent threat to Earth, NASA classifies it as a "potentially hazardous asteroid" (PHA), which means that the rock is large enough and orbits so close to Earth that it could cause severe damage if its trajectory changes. And a collision occurred.
In general, any asteroid more than 450 feet (137 meters) across and orbiting within 4.6 million miles (7.5 million km) of Earth is considered a "potentially dangerous asteroid."
NASA has determined the path of this asteroid over the next 200 years, and no collisions are expected.
And on Tuesday, February 28, a second “potentially dangerous asteroid” the size of a skyscraper, with a diameter of about 450 feet (137 meters), will cross our planet’s orbit at an estimated distance of 2.2 million miles (3.5 million km).
The orbit of this massive space rock, known as 2006 BE55, crosses Earth's orbit every four to five years.
Finally, on Friday, March 3, an asteroid about 250 feet (76 meters) wide will fly by 3.3 million miles (5.3 million km).
This space rock, called 2021 QW, is not large enough to qualify as a "potentially dangerous asteroid", but it continues to come relatively close to Earth every few years.
Scientists pay close attention to space rocks that cross Earth's path millions of miles away, because even slight changes in an asteroid's trajectory can send nearby objects on a direct collision course with Earth.
Fortunately, NASA calculations show that there are no known asteroids currently on their way to hitting Earth at any time for at least the next 100 years.
And if one day a large asteroid poses a direct threat to our planet, astronomers are already working on ways to avoid the risks. This was the impetus for NASA's recent mission to test the Asteroid Reorientation DART, which collided with an asteroid to change its orbital velocity.
The mission did not completely destroy its target, but it proved that direct missile attacks are able to change the trajectory of space rocks and keep them away from Earth.
Source : websites