Saturday, April 27, 2024

An asteroid the size of Big Ben is approaching Earth much closer than the Moon

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Friday, March 24, 2023 01:22 PM

Astronomers said An asteroid Three times larger than the one that blew out windows in Chelyabinsk, Russia in 2013, it will pass close to Earth on Saturday, March 25, half way to the moon, RT reported.

Fortunately, according to Earthsky, the asteroid known as 2023 DZ2 will pass our planet at a speed of 17,426 mph (28,044 km/h).

Sky watchers with telescopes 15 cm or larger will be able to see the space rock from the Northern Hemisphere on Friday evening, March 24.

Currently, the space rock, known as 2023 DZ2, is 305 feet (93 meters) in diameter, and Big Ben is 315 feet (96 meters) tall.

2023 DZ2 will approach Earth at 19:51 GMT (15:51 EDT) at a distance of 107,500 miles (173,000 kilometers).

According to Earthsky, the asteroid will appear as a slow-moving star on the southeastern horizon, east of the constellations Orion, Canis Major, and Canis Minor.

According to EarthSky, the asteroid was first discovered in February 2023 by astronomers at the La Palma Observatory in the Canary Islands. As it crosses Earth’s orbit, the asteroid is called Apollo class.

Although the exact origin of 2023 DZ2 is unknown, most near-Earth asteroids are native to the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, having been thrown out of their regular orbits by interactions with Jupiter, according to the Encyclopedia of Physical Science and Technology.

And if 2023 DZ2 were to collide with Earth, it would cause serious damage, but fortunately, the asteroid would be 107,500 miles (173,000 kilometers) from Earth, according to the Virtual Telescope Project.

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Given what is known about 2023 DZ2’s orbit at this time, it has a 1 in 430 chance of hitting Earth on March 27, 2026. However, according to Earthsky, as astronomers learn more about the asteroid’s path, this small possibility will disappear. . The space rock orbits the Sun every 3.17 years.



Stuart Wagner
Stuart Wagner
"Professional coffee fan. Total beer nerd. Hardcore reader. Alcohol fanatic. Evil twitter buff. Friendly tv scholar."

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