[ad_1]
Stray asteroids and asteroid fragments have slammed into Earth in the past, playing a major role in altering the geological history of the planets and in the evolution of life on Earth, according to NASA. Therefore to remove uncertainty around the potential impact of these space rocks, NASA uses radar data collected by its various ground and space-based telescopes. Radar is a valuable tool for detecting and monitoring potential impact hazards. Scientists can learn a great deal about an asteroid’s orbit, rotation, size, shape, and metal concentration by deriving information from echoes of transmitted signals defected off objects.
By studying this important data, NASA has issued a warning against an asteroid that is moving towards Earth at a rapid pace today.
Asteroid 2020 DB5 information
According to NASA, the asteroid is estimated to be roughly 1600 feet wide, which is even bigger than one of the most iconic structures in the world, the Empire State Building! Given its enormity, if Asteroid 2020 DB5 were to collide with the planet, it could cause immense destruction, particularly if it landed in a densely populated region.
As per the space agency, Asteroid 2020 DB5 is set to reach its nearest distance to Earth today, June 15, at a distance of 4.3 million kilometers. It has been added to NASA’s Close Approaches list and has also been declared as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid due to its close distance of approach as well as its enormous size.
While this distance may seem considerable, it’s relatively minor in terms of astronomical measurements, considering the massive size of the asteroid. In fact, Asteroid 2020 DB5 is already dashing towards Earth, at a fiery speed of 34279 kilometers per hour!
Other details
NASA has revealed that Asteroid 2020 DB5 made its very first recorded approach to Earth back on May 28, 1905, at a distance of just 1 million kilometers, while its last approach was on June 23, 1995. It belongs to the Amor group of Near-Earth Asteroids which are Earth-approaching near-Earth asteroids with orbits exterior to Earth but interior to Mars’, named after asteroid 1221 Amor.
[ad_2]
Source link