Asteroids move in elliptical orbits around the Sun, and they also rotate as they move, sometimes randomly. Although asteroids can be found orbiting our Sun in the central asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, they can sometimes stray from their trajectory and head toward Earth for potential surface impacts. NASA recently warned of a similar asteroid that is approaching Earth and is expected to have a close collision with the planet.
Asteroid 2015 BY310 Details
The asteroid, named Asteroid 2015 BY310, has attracted the interest of scientists, especially because of its large size. NASA The asteroid is estimated to be about 470 feet across, making it as large as a skyscraper! Because of its size, Asteroid 2015 BY310 could have major destructive potential if it were to impact a planet, especially if it were to crash into a densely populated area.
The space agency further revealed that asteroid 2015 BY310 will make its closest approach. Earth Yesterday, March 7, 4 million kilometers away. In fact, it is already hurtling towards Earth at a terrifying speed of 27,782 km/h, which is faster than a hypersonic ballistic missile.
Protection against Asteroid
To counter asteroids that head toward Earth for potential impacts, NASA has already tested its DART mission for planetary protection. The space agency successfully rammed a spacecraft out of its path with an incoming asteroid.
Now, ESA is also set to create an early warning system for dangerous asteroids. Called NEOMIR (Near-Earth Object Mission in Infrared), the spacecraft will orbit between Earth and the Sun at the L1 Lagrange point, according to ESA, looking for space rocks that are otherwise lost in the Sun’s glare.
The Numir mission will serve as an early warning system for asteroids 20 meters and larger that cannot be seen from Earth.
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