Information about the upcoming “encounter” of our planet with large asteroids comes from the Center for Near-Earth Object Research (CNEOS). According to this data, both giants will pass near Earth on Monday, April 15, one after the other, within just one hour! The first flight will take place at 15:08 and the second at 15:50 Polish time. Is there reason to be afraid?
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Giant asteroids approaching Earth. Its diameter reaches one kilometer!
Objects marked 517681 (2015 DE198) and 439437 (2013 NK4) were no secret to us. We discovered the first of them in 2015 thanks to the American monitoring program Pan-STARRS. We found the second one in 2013 thanks to the Siding Spring Survey project in Australia.
How big are these asteroids? The first ranges in length from 440 to 990 meters, and the second can reach one kilometer in diameter! These are real space giants, much larger than those that usually pass by Earth. These objects are usually several, several or tens of meters in size.
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We are meeting soon. Should we be afraid?
Both celestial bodies are classified as “potentially hazardous asteroids” (PHAs). This category includes objects that approach Earth at a distance of less than 19.5 times the distance from us to the Moon (0.05 AU) and are large enough that if they collided with our planet they could cause a catastrophe on a regional scale.
Although it sounds scary, astronomers assure us that we have no reason to worry. The two asteroids will pass near Earth at a safe distance and there is no risk of collision. The first of them will fly at a distance slightly more than 8 times the distance from us to the Moon, and the second – 18 times greater.
But this is not the end! On the same day, three more asteroids will pass by our planet. However, these will be much smaller – ranging in size from several to tens of metres.
Do you want to stay informed about space threats? All information about the asteroid's expected close passage is publicly available on the website Center for Near-Earth Object Research (CNEOS).
(Source: Bab)
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