NASA warned of this small but potentially dangerous space rock that would come very close to Earth today. It will be even closer than the moon.
There are more than 1.1 million asteroids in our solar system, and they are commonly found orbiting the Sun in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. The asteroid belt contains a large number of asteroids larger than 1 km or 0.6 miles in diameter, while others are smaller. One of those small asteroids is currently on its way towards Earth at a staggering 89220 km/h, CNEOS data reveals. This small asteroid is 18 feet or 5 meters in diameter and has been named 2022 YJ- the size of a car. Well, you must be thinking that if this asteroid is small, what makes it such a concern?
It’s closeness! Follow small planet According to NASA’s data tracking site, asteroid 2022 YJ will pass by Earth today at a terrifying distance of only 175,000 miles. The disturbing part is that it’s even closer than our Moon! Lots of. much closer. The average distance between the Earth and the moon is 239,000 miles or 385,000 kilometers.
Even more disturbing is that, according to the-sky.org, asteroid 2022 YJ was discovered just a day ago on December 17, 2022. This near-Earth object belongs to the Apollo group, making an orbit around it. Earth. Sun in 1254 days. Currently, the asteroid is below the horizon in the constellation Taurus. It will appear in the sky in the southeast direction at around 16:05.
For pre-terror detection, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s NEO Research Center maintains a list of impact risk assessments of all near-Earth objects that will approach Earth relatively close. NASA’s JPL has tagged potentially hazardous objects to all space rocks that approach within 4.6 million miles from Earth and is about 150 meters larger in size. This is what makes this small asteroid a potential threat to Earth.
This is the way NASA Asteroid terror tracking
To track these asteroids, there are a number of Earth and Sky based technologies like telescopes, satellites, etc. NASA in space and on earth. “Some of the most detailed characterization data obtained for NEOs approaching Earth close enough to be observable by planetary radars, was performed by radio telescopes at NASA’s Deep Space Network and NASA’s Deep Space Network. Arecibo observations of the National Science Foundation in Puerto Rico,” NASA revealed.
