In the upcoming Friday, a massive asteroid the size of a standing skyscraper will fly by the Earth at a distance of 1.7 million miles. Don’t worry, there is no risk of collision as it will pass seven times farther away than the distance from the Earth to the Moon.
According to NASA’s Near-Earth Object Studies Center, the cosmic rock is estimated to be between 210 and 480 meters wide. This means the asteroid could be similar in size to the Empire State Building in New York or the Willis Tower in Chicago. Discovered in 2008, the asteroid is named 2008 OS7. It won’t come back our way until 2032, but its next encounter will be much farther, remaining at a distance of 45 million miles (72 million kilometers). This safe approach is one of several close passes happening this week. Three significantly smaller asteroids will also safely fly by Earth on Friday, with heights not exceeding a few meters. On Saturday, there will be encounters with two more asteroids. On Sunday, an object approximately half the size of 2008 OS7 will pass at a distance of 4.5 million miles (7.3 million kilometers) from us.
It’s very fascinating that scientists nowadays are capable of monitoring and identifying space threats. Thanks to such observations, we can predict potential dangers. It’s important to note that in this case, there is no cause for concern. The size of the asteroid and its distance from Earth eliminate any risk of collision.
Perhaps this serves as a reminder that we are part of a vast cosmos where incredible things happen. Although encounters with asteroids are not uncommon, it’s always worth contemplating our role in the cosmic arrangement.
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The source of the article is from the blog elektrischnederland.nl