Published 15:55 IST, March 4th 2020
Asteroid big enough to end human civilisation expected to pass close by Earth
An asteroid measuring four kilometres wide and big enough to end human civilisation is expected to potentially pass close the Earth in April, as per reports.
An asteroid measuring four kilometres wide and big enough to potentially end human civilisation is expected to pass close the Earth in April. According to the reports, NASA is closely monitoring the colossal rock, estimated to measure up to 2.5 miles (4.1 km) across, and has officially named it as 52768 (1998 OR2). The asteroid is projected to pass earth on April 29 at a speed of 31,320kmh and will be the closest at just 0.04205 astronomical units away from our planet.
According to the reports, 52768 (1998 OR2) will be just 3.9 million miles (6.29 million km) away at its nearest. According to the Planetary Society, an asteroid bigger than 0.6 miles (1km) across is big enough to threaten global destruction.
Asteroid zoom past earth
Meanwhile, a massive asteroid that is bigger than the world's tallest building sail past the Earth on February 15, according to NASA. The giant rock dubbed 163373 (2002 PZ39) measuring between 1,400 and 3,200 feet in diameter is based on the object's magnitude, as per the data from the space agency's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS). The scientists suggested that the asteroid would stand higher than Burj Khalifa skyscraper in Dubai, which is the tallest structure on Earth. 2002 PZ39 is about to make its close approach at 11:05am Universal Time (6:05 am EST) on February 15.
It zoom past the Earth at a distance of around 3.6 million miles i.e. 15 times the distance between the Earth and the moon. The asteroid crossed at a speed of nearly 34,000 miles per hour which is about 20 times as fast as an F-16 jet fighter flying at maximum velocity. In addition, the asteroid is defined as a "potentially hazardous" near-Earth object (NEO) by the CNEOS.
Updated 15:55 IST, March 4th 2020