Tuesday, 28 February
GMT
22:42 2023
Last updated 23:19:38 GMT
Washington – Palestine today
Our universe is filled with an unknown number of recalcitrant space rocks that follow paths that we cannot all trace, 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.” It 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 Earth and the Moon, according to NASA. And on Monday, February 27, an asteroid called 2012 DK31 passed near Our planet is about 3 million miles (4.8 million kilometers) across. This asteroid measures 450 feet (137 meters) across, or roughly the width of a 40-story skyscraper, 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 close to Earth that it could cause severe damage if it changes its trajectory. And a collision occurred. In general, any asteroid more than 450 feet (137 meters) wide and orbiting within 4.6 million miles (7.5 million km) from Earth is considered a “potentially dangerous asteroid.”
And NASA has determined the path of this asteroid over the next 200 years, and no collisions are expected. On Tuesday, February 28, a second “potentially dangerous asteroid” the size of a skyscraper will also cross, with a diameter of about 450 feet (137 meters), the orbit of our planet at an estimated distance Known as 2006 BE55, the orbit of this massive space rock 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, isn’t large enough to qualify as a “potentially hazardous asteroid,” but it is. 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 behind NASA’s recent mission to test the reorientation of DART asteroids that collided with an asteroid to change its orbital velocity. The mission didn’t completely destroy its target, but it demonstrated that direct missile attacks are capable of deflecting space rocks away from Earth.
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