The Pin
March 03 2020, 9:12 pm
A colossal asteroid is being followed by NASA’s automated systems at the Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) for its figures in English. It is estimated that the body called 52768 (1998 OR2) has a diameter of 4.1 km.
An object of this bearing could culminate with the human race if it came to collide with the planet. The American astronomical center estimates that the rock is heading towards us at 8.7 km per second.
At this rate, the asteroid will dangerously approach Earth on April 29, 2020. According to Planetary Society, an asteroid with a diameter greater than 1 km is capable of threatening Earth.
Astronomers estimate that objects as dangerous as this one have a 50,000 chance of hitting the Earth once every 100 in years.
Planetary Society says that the possible damage could be “a crater of 10 km or more, the global devastation and the possible collapse of civilization.”
Dr. Bruce Betts of the international group of astronomers assured The Express that “small asteroids, of a few meters, generally enter the atmosphere and disintegrate, causing little or no damage.”
“The asteroids of the‘ Chelyabinsk ’bearing, about 20 meters, create waves that can break windows and cause injuries. Those of the Tunguska port, about 40 meters, could destroy an entire city and create a tsunami. Those that are larger than these could cause catastrophes at regional or global levels, ”he added.
The destructive potential of space rocks as large as this one was highlighted by a 2018 report published by the US National Science and Technology Council.
“Objects near and larger than 1 km long can cause damage on a global scale. They can trigger earthquakes, tsunamis and other types of side effects that extend well beyond the impact zone, ”says the institution.
In comparison, the asteroid that is believed destroyed the dinosaurs, had 10 kilometers in diameter.
However, NASA experts hope that the asteroid does not collide with Earth, failing so at 6.29 million kilometers, almost 16 times the distance between Earth and the Moon.
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