The asteroid will be more than 13 times the distance between the Moon and Earth at its closest approach.
A massive asteroid is expected to pass near to Earth this week, according to NASA. The space rock, dubbed 2013 BO76, is estimated to be 200-450 meters wide and travels at an astonishing 50,000 kilometers per hour, according to scientists. Despite the fact that NASA has classed the asteroid as “possibly hazardous,” it is anticipated to pass Earth safely. According to NASA, the asteroid, which is the size of a football stadium, will make its closest approach to Earth early Friday India time.
According to NASA, the asteroid will be over 51 lakh kilometers away from us at its closest approach, which is more than 13 times the distance between the moon and Earth. So, why is it classified as a potentially harmful substance? Scientists use this classification to classify asteroids based on their size and potential to pass close to Earth. It isn’t always the case that the asteroid is dangerously close to Earth.
So, what exactly is a “close approach”? It’s a term that can be applied to a variety of situations. Some asteroids are passing closer to Earth than usual, according to astronomers. In actuality, these close approaches could be several times the distance between the Earth and the Moon.
This is why NASA has included asteroid BO76 on its list of upcoming “Close Approaches.”
According to NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS), asteroid BO76 will approach Earth this week at a speed of roughly 50,000 kilometers per hour.
CNEOS monitors heavenly bodies on a daily basis in order to issue warnings about those that are approaching us. However, the agency has consistently stated that it has not discovered a large asteroid that poses a risk of colliding with Earth in the near future. Small asteroids frequently fall from the sky around the globe. The last time a massive asteroid collided with the Earth, it wiped out the dinosaurs.
NASA is developing technology that will allow it to change the trajectory of an asteroid if it poses a threat to Earth.