the major asteroid which will approach the Earth in 2021 will happen to some two million miles away the Sunday, March 21st, No collision risk, but it will allow astronomers to study this celestial object more closely.
baptized as “2001 FO32” and of less than a mile in diameter, Will pass to 124 miles / h, “Faster than most asteroids” circulating near Earth, according to NASA.
“There is no risk of collision with our planet”, Explained the US space agency. At its closest point, the asteroid will still be there at a distance more than five times greater than that between the Earth and the Moon.
A separation considered, however, close enough to be classified as “Potentially dangerous”, According to the official categories.
THE ASTEROID WAS DISCOVERED 20 YEARS AGO
The asteroid was discovered in March 2001 and his trajectory has been followed ever since.
“Currently, we know little about this object, so this meeting is so close gives us an amazing opportunity to learn a lot “ about him, he valued Lance Benner, Scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, on which the Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) depends.
By studying the light reflected by its surface, researchers will be able, for example, to get a better idea of its composition.
“Amateur astronomers in the southern hemisphere and low northern latitudes they should be able to see this asteroid using medium-sized telescopes“He loved Paul Chodas, Director of CNEOS, quoted in a statement.
None of the large asteroids cataloged it has options to crash into Earth in the next century, and it is very unlikely that those who remain to be discovered will be able to do so, Reassured NASA.
Still, he adds, “the more information we can gather about objects, mission designers can better prepare to divert them if they ever threaten the Earth. ”
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