Asteroid the size of a scraper
Scientists say it is "potentially dangerous", but there is no reason to panic.
When you look at the night sky , you expect to see a few things: contact, the moon and, if you are lucky, maybe a shooting star. What is much less likely is to spot an asteroid the size of a skyscraper flying above the head. And it's probably a good thing! Monday, however, that's exactly what you will be able to see, according to the center for studies of objects close to NASA (CNEOS) Data . Read the rest to find out more about this massive asteroid, and how you can watch it pass the earth on Monday evening.
Read this then: A special solar eclipse will create a "fire ring" in the United States - here how to see it .
The asteroid the size of the building will enter our orbit in just three days.
On Monday, June 12, an asteroid nicknamed 1994 XD will make its way in the sky and will be " relatively close "On Earth, according to the Virtual Telescope Project 2.0. The asteroid takes its name thanks to the year it was discovered and was spotted for the first time by a Spacewatch group at the Kitt Peak Observatory in Arizona.
Scientists believe that the asteroid is between 1,214 and 2,723 feet in diameter (370 to 830 meters) - and while that relatively small For an asteroid, according to the Houston Chronicle , this is by no means "small" according to our standards.
For comparison, a World Trade Center in New York - the the tallest building In the United States, the level of 1,776 feet high (541 meters), while the Empire State Building measures almost 1,500 feet high (443 meters) at its highest point.
You can watch the asteroids go through a live flow.
The asteroid should be closest to the earth just before 9 p.m. Eastern daylight time (EDT) on Monday, according to the Virtual Telescope Project 2.0. At its nearest point, 1994 XD will be 0.02114 astronomical units (AU), or about 1.9 million miles of the earth. For reference, it is about eight times the distance between Earth and the Moon. AE0FCC31AE342FD3A1346EBB1F342FCB
The asteroid will zoom in front of a speed of 21.47 kilometers per second, or approximately 48,027 miles per hour, according to CNEOS data.
Do you want to see if yourself? You don't even need to go out: watch 1994 xD in action via live flows provided by The virtual telescope project Or Worldcam on YouTube Monday evening.
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The asteroid does not put the earth in danger, but it is "potentially dangerous".
NASA considers 1994 xD "potentially dangerous" due to the fact that it is at a minimum distance between earth and sun, the Houston Chronicle reported. Rest assured, however, that you don't have to worry about the asteroid that threatens us here on earth.
"Potentially dangerous designation simply means over several centuries and millennia that the asteroid orbit can evolve in a chance of impact on earth. We do not assess these long -term impact possibilities" . Paul Chodas , director of the NASA center for studies of objects close to the earth, said Nowsweek Last year.
1994 XD will no longer be so close to Earth for almost two decades.
You don't want to miss an overview of 1994 XD, because it will not be so close to Earth in 2041.
Citing data from the NASA database, Nowsweek reported that XD 1994 orbit the sun once Every 3.6 years , but it is not always so close to the earth.
In addition, it is not the only asteroid approaching our planet in June. According to the NASA jet propulsion laboratory at the California Institute of Technology, there are five Imminent asteroid approaches , one of which is the size of a house, two which are the size of an airplane, one the size of a bridge, and of course, 1994 XD, which is the largest in the group.
