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A giant asteroid approaching Earth brings its own face mask

The 1998 OR2 asteroid that will fly close to our planet next week appears to be wearing an anti-coronavirus mask

The Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico is following an asteroid approaching Earth this week and while not posing a threat, you seem to know that our planet is facing a coronavirus pandemic.

“Small-scale topographic features, such as hills and ridges at one end of the 1998 OR2 asteroid, are scientifically fascinating.” says Anne Virkki, director of the observatory’s planetary radar. “But since we are all thinking about COVID-19These characteristics make it seem like OR2 1998 remembers wearing a mask. ”

The asteroid estimated to be 1.2 miles wide will fly around Earth next week, but it is not expected to collide with our planet.

And if an asteroid could be aware of such things, this one really seems to be wearing a face mask in reference to the coronavirus pandemic, according to new images from the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico.

The asteroid is called 52768 (1998 OR2), and was first discovered in 1998. On April 29, it will pass within 3,908,791 miles of Earth, moving at 19,461 miles per hour. That is still 16 times farther than the distance from Earth to the Moon.

Asteroid 1998 OR2
Doppler image animation of Asteroid Delay (52768) 1998 OR2 April 18 UT. Image credit: Arecibo Observatory / NASA / NSF.

Potentially Dangerous Objects

The National Science Foundation facility, which is managed by the University of Central Florida, has a team of experts who monitors near Earth asteroids.

This asteroid belongs to a special class of near-Earth asteroids called Potentially Dangerous Objects (PHO).

PHOs are over 140 meters (about 500 feet) and are less than 5 million miles from Earth’s orbit.

No known PHO represents an immediate danger to Earth, but observations such as those made at the Arecibo Observatory are used to determine their future trajectories.

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