Bushfires, a pandemic, cyclones, earthquakes: 2020 has come equipped with destruction starter pack. Asteroids have been flying past earth for the past few months. One even appeared as if wearing a mask as if practising social distancing when it came to earth. And now, this month, is set to see another round of these space rocks fly by close to earth.?
NASA¡¯s Near-Earth Object (CEO) browser at the Centre for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) reveals a number of large space rocks, will approach Earth in comparatively close range, starting Saturday, June 6.
Asteroid 163348 (2002 NN4) is the first of the large asteroids that will breach the Minimum Orbit Intersection Distance (MOID) of 0.05 AU (7.48 million kilometres). According to the NEO Close Approach data table, the asteroid 2002 NN4 will make its closest approach to Earth on June 6, at 3:20 am UTC.
At its closest, the asteroid will reach a distance of 0.034 AU, or 5.09 million kilometres . The asteroid 2002 NN4 has a diameter of 570 metres which is almost the length of five football pitches put together. During the fly-by asteroid 2002 NN4 will be at relative velocity of 40,140 kmph.
Even at its closest point to Earth, the asteroid will be at a distance of over 13 times the average distance between Earth and the moon.
Following the 2002 NN4¡¯s close-Earth approach will be asteroid 2013 XA22, which will breach the MOID on June 8 at 3:40PM UTC, Monday. Its approach will be closer than that of the 2002 NN4, coming to 0.019 AU (2.93 million kilometres) of Earth.
?Asteroid 2013 XA22 is a far smaller space rock ¨C it has peak diameter of 160 metres, and will fly by at relative velocity of 24,050 kmph.
The asteroid 441987 (2010 NY65) was discovered a decade ago and it has been studied due to its proximal orbit to Earth. The asteroid 2010 NY65 will cross Earth on Wednesday, June 24, at 6:44AM UTC. It will breach the MOID at 0.025 AU (3.76 million kilometres) from Earth.
The 2010 NY65 asteroid falls somewhere between the 2002 NN4 and 2013 XA22 asteroids in diameter size, with peak size of 310 metres in its diameter. The asteroid 2010 NY65 will have the highest relative velocity of 46,400 kmph among the three large asteroids set to come the closest to Earth during June.
The good or the bad news (depending on what you were wishing for) is that all the asteroids are going to pass by at a safe distance and do not pose any threat to Earth.?