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NASA has issued a warning against an asteroid today. Does this space rock pose any danger to Earth?
The months of August and September have witnessed nearly 35 asteroid flybys each and October is set to match, if not surpass, that number. Two asteroids passed by the planet at extremely close distances just yesterday and NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office has warned that two more asteroids are set for close approaches with Earth today. One of them is nearly as big as an aircraft and is hurtling towards the planet at dangerous speed. Here’s what NASA said about the asteroid.
Asteroid 2022 SE10
NASA has warned that an asteroid named 2022 SE10 is hurtling towards Earth today, October 10. The asteroid is nearly 89 feet wide, which is almost the size of a commercial aircraft! The asteroid will make its closest approach to the planet today at a distance of just 2.1 million kilometers. The menacing space rock is speeding towards the planet at nearly 39060 kilometers per hour. After today, the asteroid’s next closest approach with Earth is expected to be on September 26, 2029, according to NASA.
These past months have seen a sudden increase in the frequency of asteroid flybys. However, people will be relieved to know that none of them will be any potentially “world-ending” asteroids. In fact, such an asteroid is not expected for at least a century or more.
Davide Farnocchia of NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) said, “A 2068 impact is not in the realm of possibility anymore, and our calculations don’t show any impact risk for at least the next 100 years.”
Did you know?
1. The total mass of all the asteroids in space combined is less than that of Earth’s Moon.
2. There is an asteroid named after Mr. Spock – the Vulcan character of “Star Trek” fame.
3. More than 150 asteroids are known to have a small companion moon, or even two moons!
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