This asteroid was near the Earth
An asteroid with a size of 1.2 miles wide made its closest approach to Earth and with the speed of 19,000 MPH.
Recalling, last March, it was reported that four asteroids approached the Earth on different days during the time that many countries are battling against the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Before the month of April ends, another reported asteroid sighting was recorded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Based on the report from Independent, the object known as (52768) 1998 OR2 made its closest approach at 10:56 am UK time.
During the said time, the object was just 3.9 million miles away from the Earth. Although it is roughly 16 times the distance between our planet and the Moon, however, this is relatively a close pass for an asteroid and it is expected to have its close approach to the Earth in 2079.
Flaviane Venditti, a research scientist at the observatory, said that 49 years from now, the 1998 OR2 will be much closer to Earth than what it has made just recently.
“The radar measurements allow us to know more precisely where the asteroid will be in the future, including its future close approaches to Earth,” the scientist said.
The object is classified as a potentially hazardous object (PHO). This classification is given to an asteroid with a size bigger than 500 feet and comes within 5 million miles of Earth’s orbit.
However, despite its size, scientists said that this does not pose any danger to the planet as of now, according to Dr. Brad Tucker, an astrophysicist at the Australian National University.
“While it is big, it is still smaller than the asteroid that impacted the Earth and wiped out the dinosaurs,” he added.
Meanwhile, Dr. Anne Virkki, head of Planetary Radar at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, said that understanding about PHO will lead to the improvement of the “impact-risk mitigation technologies”. She has been tracking the said object, based on the report.
“The small-scale topographic features such as hills and ridges on one end of asteroid 1998 OR2 are fascinating scientifically. But, since we are all thinking about Covid-19, these features make it look like 1998 OR2 remembered to wear a mask,” she added.
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