Asteroid 2022 EB5 was discovered just two hours before it hit Earth. Know what happened after that and whether it caused any damage.
Asteroids are dangerous large rocks that float in space and can take away civilizations, if the size is large enough. Frequently, the Earth is constantly visited by giant rocks passing too close, making us realize the “space danger” that can end us in a flash, just like the dinosaurs! On March 12, a small asteroid was spotted moving through the sky, only to be later discovered that it was moving towards us! And, it finally hit the Earth!
But since we all live and breathe well, it does no harm to us humans. Designated as EB5 in 2022, the crack was discovered just two hours before it collided with our planet. Astronomer Krisztián Sárneczky found the small rocky object with the Schmidt telescope at the Piszkésteto Mountain Station. Two hours later, it was confirmed to have hit Earth. It is said that the rock probably burned up in our atmosphere, leaving no trace.
The asteroid was found a few hours before it hit the Earth
Astronomers say the asteroid is 10 feet wide and is traveling at a dizzying 11 mph. Therefore, the size of the rock is not large enough to harm us.
What happened after it hit Earth? It is believed that the rock completely burned up in the sky, or if it survived, it may have fallen into the Arctic Ocean. Some reported that they witnessed a flash of light over Iceland on March 12. Others said they witnessed a sonic storm at the same time. However, there is no visual confirmation yet, and it is still unknown if the remains of the rock exist.
In 2022 EB5 becomes the fifth tone asteroid discovered before it collided with Earth. While such asteroids pose no serious threat to us, larger asteroids that have passed by us recently pose a danger. Asteroids the size of Burj Khalifa and even taller structures have passed us within a million miles of Earth over the past few months. If such larger ones were facing the Earth, then the stick would not be able to save us from trouble.
However, NASA is testing the DART mission that will give us a demo later this year. The mission includes a spacecraft that will crash into an asteroid in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, observing to see if the impact changes the direction of the rock. While it’s impossible to blow up an asteroid, changing its course can help us survive such threats.
