According to a report by CNN on October 31, these three asteroids are between the orbits of the Earth and Venus. Due to the influence of the sun’s bright light, they are usually very difficult to observe. This time, the short time window of dusk was used. be discovered. One of the asteroids, numbered 2022 AP7, is 1.5 kilometers in diameter and may enter Earth’s orbit in the future. The orbits of the other two asteroids, numbered 2021 LJ4 and 2021 PH27, are relatively safe for Earth.
The study’s lead author, Scott S. Sheppard, pointed out that an impact on Earth by a near-Earth asteroid larger than or equal to 1 km in diameter would have a “devastating effect on life”, causing “an impact on Earth” A mass extinction event not seen in millions of years”, hence the name “planet killer”. It is not known when 2022 AP7 will enter Earth’s orbit. Fortunately, for now, 2022 AP7 is “far from the earth.”
Astronomers believe there are about 1,000 NEOs larger than 1 kilometer in diameter, 95 percent of which have been detected in the past 10 years of detection. Sheppard’s team hopes to find more “planet killers” in the next few years of exploration.