- and hope that it misses us !!! Mile-wide asteroid to hurtle past Earth this week Rob Waugh 23 May 2022, 4:14 pm The asteroid will whizz past Earth on May 27th (NASA) A vast asteroid up to a mile wide is going to zoom past our planet at 47,000mph on May 27th, according to NASA’s asteroid-spotting experts. The space rock, known as 7335 (1989 JA) won’t fly past particularly near to Earth — the closest it will get is 2.5 million miles, 10 times the distance between the Earth and the moon. NASA says it’s the largest asteroid which will make a close approach to Earth this year. The asteroid, which was first spotted in 1989 is described as ‘Bridge-sized’ by NASA, and will safely pass Earth on Friday. The Virtual Telescope project said: "This 1.8 km large asteroid will reach its minimum distance (about 4 millions of km, almost 10.5 times the average lunar distance) from us on 27 May 2022, at 14:26 UTC. Of course, there are no risks at all for our planet.’’ Read more: Scientists warn dangerous space rocks could be hiding in meteor shower The asteroid is an Apollo asteroid, with orbits which cross Earth’s. The asteroids have relatively short lifespans, due to their potential to collide with inner planets – and there are more than 1,600 of them known. NASA has already taken steps towards a real solution if an asteroid is hurtling towards Earth – a mission to knock potential doomsday asteroids onto less-threatening flight paths. The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) launched late last year on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The idea is that a fridge-sized DART spacecraft will hit the asteroid faster than a bullet - and change its orbit. On its test mission, the DART will impact a known asteroid that is not a threat to Earth. Read more: Huge meteor explodes in the sky above Derby Its goal is to slightly change the asteroid’s motion in a way that can be accurately measured using ground-based telescopes. DART will show that a spacecraft can autonomously navigate to a target asteroid and intentionally collide with it – a method of deflection called kinetic impact. The test will provide important data to help better prepare for an asteroid that might pose an impact hazard to Earth, should one ever be discovered. “DART is turning science fiction into science fact and is a testament to NASA’s proactivity and innovation for the benefit of all,” said NASA administrator Bill Nelson. “In addition to all the ways NASA studies our universe and our home planet, we’re also working to protect that home, and this test will help prove out one viable way to protect our planet from a hazardous asteroid should one ever be discovered that is headed toward Earth.
I was reading about the Younger Dryas impact hypothesis just recently. The idea is a comet fragment 100 meters wide, burst while traveling through the atmosphere over North America resulting in a world wide catastrophe. Interesting stuff.
It is speculated by scientists based on evidence found that the dinosaurs were annihilated by an asteroid strike . Large portions of humanity is potentially at risk from an asteroid strike or a nuclear holocaust, and hence all the more reason for human beings to be creating living habitats on the moon and mars and other planets and even space stations if possible. I really wish humanity cooperated with each other in such projects that would have created better cohesion and evaporated all man-made divides and created a higher sense of identity as earthlings. India is preparing for its first manned mission (Gaganyaan) next year. Success in this venture will be sequentially followed by a space station and hopefully livable habitats on the moon and mars and other potential habitats, that can substantially reduce the risks of worse case scenarios facing humanity at present.
There is enormous fire-power between the US, UK, Russia, China, India, Pakistan, Iran and Israel to ensure the safety of Earth from any potential rogue Meteorite or Asteroid if there was United Nations co-operation on such a project.
