Giant asteroid 'passes close' to Earth

Did you know that a giant asteroid 'passed close' to our planet this week?

It may seem like a Netflix commercial, but it isn't. The situation of an asteroid so close to Earth has caught people's attention because it's very similar to the story of "Don't Look Up," one of the streaming platform's most recent hits. 

In the film, a pair of astronomers discover the existence of a meteor that is heading towards Earth, causing the destruction of our planet. After the discovery, the pair will have to alert the entire world about the imminent threat while dealing with a series of setbacks, such as the indifference of politicians and the press about the case and the skepticism of the population about the situation.

Fortunately, compared to the situation faced in the film, the situation in real life is quite calm and does not offer the same risks – but it is still a very big coincidence.

Taking advantage of this event, in today's content, we have gathered the main information about this asteroid, including the effects that its passage could have on Earth. 

Understand better the case of the giant asteroid that 'passed close' to Earth

The American Space Agency (NASA) announced the passage of an asteroid 'close' to Earth last Tuesday (18). Named 7482 (1994 PC1), the asteroid passed close to our planet at an estimated speed of 76,192 km/h.

According to predictions made by the scientists responsible, the time at which the celestial body was closest to Earth during its trajectory was 6:50 pm.

What is an asteroid?

Asteroids are celestial bodies that orbit through outer space. Just like the planets that make up the solar system, these asteroids also orbit around the sun.

For comparison purposes, asteroids are generally larger than meteors and smaller than planets.

With varying sizes and shapes, these bodies can reach hundreds of kilometers across and are generally made of materials such as metal, rock and carbon.  

Did the passage of this asteroid pose any kind of risk to the planet?

This is the kind of news that has the potential to make anyone nervous, right? After all, what effects could the passage of an asteroid like this have on our planet? 

We can rest assured about this. Despite its size – it is estimated that the object is about 1 km wide – the passage of the asteroid did not pose any risk or impact to Earth. 

Despite being relatively close, the trajectory that the asteroid took is not close enough to us to cause any kind of effect on our atmosphere.

Could the asteroid's passage have been seen?

Despite being an experience that everyone would like to witness – as it is a very rare occurrence – experts reported that, unfortunately, the passage of the asteroid could not be seen with the naked eye by the population.

Despite the use of the term 'close', the object passed about two million kilometers from our planet. It may seem far away, but this is, according to scientists' estimates, the closest such a celestial body will come in the next two centuries.

Is this the largest asteroid to ever pass relatively close to our planet?

Despite having a very significant size, 7482 (1994 PC1) is not the largest asteroid that has ever passed close to our planet and that we have news of. 

In 2017, another asteroid – named 3122 Florence (1981 ET3) – also approached Earth. This specimen was 4 to 8.4 km wide – much larger than this next asteroid – and, according to some scientists' predictions, it should pass close to our planet again in 2057.

Could future asteroids pose any threat to Earth?

According to predictions, no. As previously stated in the text, estimates are that this asteroid will be the closest a celestial body like this will come to Earth in the next 200 years.

In any case, in November, NASA launched a test mission as a precaution. Although it is a test, the objective of this mission is to protect our planet from future threats that may arise from space, such as other larger asteroids.

In this test mission, the target is Dimorphos, a satellite orbiting the asteroid Didymos. In terms of size, Dimorphos is the size of a football field. The asteroid Didymos is 5 times larger than its satellite.

If the mission is successful, the collision is expected to occur in September 2022, around 11 million kilometers from Earth. Furthermore, according to estimates, the result of this mission will be so intense that it should create the first meteor shower caused by humans.  

Other meteors that have passed close to Earth

Although 3122 Florence (1981 ET3) in 2017 was the largest asteroid to ever pass close to the planet, Earth has already faced situations where celestial bodies have passed nearby to say “hello”. 

Asteroid 1983TB (or 3200 Phantom) was one of them. The second largest asteroid to come close to Earth, the celestial body was about 6.25 km across and came within 5.7 million km of Earth. This event occurred on December 13, 1931.

Astronomers have discovered that, in addition to Earth, Phantom also crosses the orbits of planets such as Mars, Mercury and Venus. And, according to estimates, the meteor should approach Earth again in 2026, but this time passing at a distance of about 54 million km.

Conclusion

As you can see, the incidence of asteroids passing by Earth's surroundings is high. But it is worth remembering that this does not mean a warning sign. Astronomers responsible for monitoring the approach of these celestial bodies are always on the lookout for new asteroids. 

And, if NASA's mission is successful, the risk of facing situations like the one in the movie “Don't Look Up” will decrease even further. 

Did you like this content? Then take the opportunity to also read Venus, the infernal planet – What is known so far