the largest asteroid which will approach the Earth in 2021 it will happen with approx two million kilometers away from Sunday, March 21, without the risk of a collision, but will allow astronomers to study this celestial object more closely.
Baptized as “2001 FO32” and by with a diameter of less than one kilometer, I will go to 124 mile km / h, “Faster than most asteroids” moving close to Earth, according to NASA.
“There is no risk of a collision with our planet”explained the US space agency. At the closest approach, the asteroid will still be at a distance more than five times greater than that between Earth and the Moon.
A separation considered, however, close enough to be classified as “Potentially dangerous”, according to the official categories.
THE ASTEROID HAS BEEN DISCOVERED FOR 20 YEARS
The asteroid was discovered in March 2001 and his trajectory has been followed ever since.
“Currently, we know little about this object, so this meeting is very close gives us an incredible opportunity to learn a lot “ about him, appreciated Lance Benner, a scientist from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, on which the Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) reports.
By studying the light reflected from its surface, researchers can, for example, get a better idea of its composition.
“Amateur astronomers from the southern hemisphere and low northern latitudes should be able to see this asteroid using medium-sized telescopes“, he loved the Paul Chodas, director of CNEOS, quoted in a statement.
None of the large asteroids cataloged it has the chance to collapse on Earth in the next century, and it is very unlikely that those left undiscovered will be able to do so, NASA assured him.
Regardless, he adds, “the more information we can collect about objects, better prepare mission designers to divert them if anyone ever threatens the Earth. ”
(…)