We are only halfway through 2020, so much has happened, and yet this mess of a year doesn’t seem to be going easy on its scary streak. Bushfires, cyclones, earthquakes, and an unabating pandemic later, we now have three gigantic asteroids all set to pass by Earth in June. Currently, NASA has been keeping a watch on three mammoth asteroids that are all set to skim past Earth this month.
As per NASA’s Near-Earth Object (NEO), a website at the Centre for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS), has revealed that large space rocks that have been hurtling through the solar system will soon be approaching Earth this month in close range. This is after an initial flurry of asteroids has already passed by Earth in recent times. As per NASA, one of these asteroids is larger than the entire Empire Building itself. Scary, right? Here’s everything that you need to know about the three asteroids:
ASTEROID 2002 NN4
The biggest of them all, asteroid 163348 (2002 NN4) would be the first one of the three and it is likely to breach the Minimum Orbit Intersection Distance (MOID) of 0.05 AU (7.48 million kilometres). This asteroid would be making its closest approach to Earth this month on June 6, at 3:20 AM UTC. Given its dimension and size, this one is supposed to be a really deadly asteroid in case it comes in contact with the planet. It has a diameter of 570 metres at its broadest, which is equivalent to almost five football fields put together. However, there is nothing to be alarmed about since even at its closest to the Earth, the asteroid would still be at a distance of over 13 times the average recorded distance between Earth and the moon.
ASTEROID 2013 XA22
After the gigantic NN4’s close-earth approach, ASTEROID 2013 XA22 happens to be the next in line. This asteroid would be breaching the MOID June 8th at 3:40 PM UTC. In comparison to NN4, this one would be significantly closer to the Earth and at its closest would touch a distance of 0.019 AU (2.93 million kilometres) from Earth. However, Asteroid 2013 XA22 is far smaller in size and has a peak diameter of 160 metres.
ASTEROID 2010 NY65
This one is all set to breach the MOID on June 24th at 6:44 AM UTC and has been studied extensively since its discovery some hundred years ago owing to its s proximal orbit to Earth. At its closest, it would be at a distance of 0.025 AU (3.76 million kilometres) from Earth. In terms of the diameter, this one falls somewhere between the two with its peak diameter being 310 metres. This asteroid will have the highest relative velocity of the three.
Sure, we wanted 2020 to end ASAP but it’s beginning to take a dangerous turn now. Not this way 2020, not this way!
Featured Image: Instagram
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