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The asteroid, christened by NASA 2019 SC, was observed for the first time in the solar system on September 6 this year. Since the discovery, NASA's asteroid trackers have been saying that space rock is flying towards us on a close approach trajectory. The asteroid approached the Earth on September 19 around 19:37 HU (18:37 UTC). As close as possible, the asteroid scraped almost as close as the Moon.
The 2019 SC asteroid is an Apollo type rock whose trajectory is similar to that of the 1862 Apollo asteroid.
NASA has also classified the SC asteroid as NEO or near Earth object.
NEOs are all comets and asteroids that approach Earth on their orbit of the internal solar system.
The European Space Agency (ESA) estimates that there are currently 20 756 NEOs known in the system.
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Of these objects, 877 have been added to ESA's NEO risk list.
Fortunately, the SC asteroid is too small to be considered a real danger to the planet.
NASA estimates that the rocks are between 8.9 and 20 m high.
But the asteroid could still have a punch if it enters the atmosphere without being detected.
READ MORE: Only cockroaches will survive the major impact of an asteroid, warns an expert
An incident like this occurred in 2013 when a 20-meter-wide plane entered the skies above the Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia.
Space rock exploded in midair, blowing through windows in a wide range and injuring more than 1,000 people with shards of glass.
On Thursday, however, the asteroid missed our planet at a safe distance.
According to NASA's Center for Near-Earth Objects, the asteroid gives the Earth a wide aperture of about 0.00360 at.
READ MORE: How often do asteroids hit Earth? What is the danger
A single square measures the distance between our planet and the sun – about 93 million miles (149.6 million km).
In other words, the asteroid SC missed the Earth at a distance of 334,640 miles (538,552 km), or 1.4 times the distance of the Moon.
NASA stated: "When they gravitate around the Sun, objects close to the Earth can sometimes approach the Earth.
"Note that a" near "passage astronomically can be very far in human terms: millions or even tens of millions of kilometers."
Quick Facts About Asteroids, Comets and Meteors:
1. An asteroid the size of a car hits the Earth on average at least once a year.
2. As icy comets fly around the solar system, their outer layers sublimate in the heat of the Sun and leave behind a glowing trail.
3. NASA estimates that an asteroid the size of a football field collides with our planet about every 2,000 years.
4. Some of the largest space rocks in the asteroid belt can have a width of 583 miles.
5. A meteor that survives the fiery descent of the earth's atmosphere is called a meteorite.
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