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A London bus-sized asteroid missed Earth by just 240 miles on Friday the 13th in the closest pass on record – but it wasn’t spotted until the next day
- The rock – dubbed 2020 VT4 – was seen 15 hours after it was whistled by
- It was detected by Hawaii’s latest land-based asteroid impact warning system.
- The 16- to 33-foot-wide body, if it had come very close, would have burned
- It is the second asteroid to break the record for the closest approach this year
An asteroid the size of a London bus missed Earth by just 386 km on Friday the 13th – but was not detected until the next day, astronomers have revealed.
The space rock, dubbed “ 2020 VT4, ” was only spotted 15 hours after its closest approach by the latest asteroid’s Earth-impact warning system on Mauna Loa, Hawaii.
Had he approached much closer, the body 16 to 33 feet (5 to 10 m) wide – as estimated from its brightness – would have burned in the atmosphere over the South Pacific.
Its orbit has brought it about the same distance from Earth as the International Space Station, making it the closest asteroid to cross Earth to date.
A London bus-sized asteroid missed Earth by just 386 km on Friday the 13th – but was not detected until the next day, astronomers have revealed (stock image)
Asteroid 2020 VT4’s orbit has brought it about the same distance from Earth as the International Space Station, making it the closest asteroid to pass through Earth to date
Prior to being named 2020 VT4, the asteroid was originally designated A10sHcN.
“The recently discovered asteroid A10sHcN approached Earth yesterday, passing just a few hundred kilometers above the South Pacific Ocean,” wrote astronomer Tony Dunn – who runs the “Orbit Simulator” website ” – on Twitter.
“This encounter shortened its orbit, ensuring that this land cruiser will make more frequent close approaches.
Experts say an asteroid would need to be at least 25 meters in diameter to cause localized damage to the Earth’s surface – and around 1 to 2 kilometers to have impacts on a global scale. .
For comparison, scientists on Earth believe that the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs 66 million years ago was about 7.5 miles wide.
Meanwhile, the Chelyabinsk meteor that exploded over Russia in 2013 – smashing the windows of thousands of buildings over a large area and hospitalizing 112 people – was reportedly about thirty times the size of the 2020 VT4.
In contrast, an impactor would likely need a width of about 60 miles (96 kilometers) in order to completely eradicate the existence of life on our planet.
Had he approached much closer, the body 16 to 33 feet (5 to 10 m) wide – depending on its brightness – would have burned in the atmosphere over the South Pacific. Pictured are asteroid 2020 VT4 (top), a London bus (middle) and the former record holder for the passage of the closest known asteroid to Earth, 2020QC (bottom)
The recently discovered asteroid A10sHcN approached Earth yesterday, passing just a few hundred kilometers above the South Pacific Ocean. This encounter shortened its orbit, ensuring that this land cruiser will make more frequent close-quarters approaches.https: //t.co/TmkzojIzPf pic.twitter.com/XrnKiiGTyJ
– Tony Dunn (@ tony873004) November 14, 2020
The orbit of the VT4 2020 (shown in white) brought it about the same distance from Earth (shown in blue) as the International Space Station, making it the closest recorded asteroid visitor.
This isn’t the first time this year that a visitor to space has broken the record for the nearest asteroid.
In August, asteroid 2020 HQ passed just 1,830 miles from Earth – and NASA astronomers also only spotted it after it passed away.
The rock passed over the Indian Ocean at the same distance from the earth’s surface as the course from Copenhagen, Denmark, to Malaga, Spain.
Slightly smaller than the 2020 VT4, the 2020 QC was approximately 6 to 18 feet (1.8 to 5.5 m) in diameter. Objects of this size move closer to our planet every year.
2020 HQ was similar in size to another asteroid that entered Earth’s atmosphere – the 9 to 12 foot diameter “ 2018 LA ”, which reached us on June 2, 2018.
This space rock burned over Africa – and while tiny fragments touched the ground, no damage or injury was reported.
Coincidentally, 2020 VT4 isn’t the only asteroid to visit Earth on a Friday the 13th – with the 984-foot (300-meter) wide body dubbed Apophis expected to pass by us on Friday, April 13, 2029.
Coincidentally, 2020 VT4 isn’t the only asteroid to visit Earth on a Friday the 13th – with the 984-foot (300-meter) wide body dubbed Apophis expected to pass by us on Friday, April 13, 2029. Pictured , an artist’s impression of Apophis approaches The earth
Astronomers are looking for asteroids over 450 feet as they can cause ‘catastrophic damage’
Researchers have discovered most asteroids that are around a kilometer in length, but are now looking for those that are around 140 meters (459 feet) – as they could cause catastrophic damage.
While no one knows when the next big impact will occur, scientists have found themselves under pressure to predict – and intercept – its arrival.
Artist’s impression in photo
“ Sooner or later we will have … a minor or major impact, ” said Rolf Densing, who heads the European Space Operations Center (ESOC) in Darmstadt.
This may not happen in our lifetime, he said, but “the risk that the Earth will one day be hit in a devastating event is very high.”
“At the moment, there is not much we can do.
Source: AFP
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