The Biggest Asteroids That Passed Between The Earth And The Moon In The Last Few Years
Here is a list of the biggest asteroids that passed between earth and the moon in the past few years. Biggest asteroid of 2020 flew past earth last month and scientists did not even know about it until two days later.
The biggest asteroid of 2020 flew past earth last month and scientists did not even know about it until two days later.
This is however not the first time scientists have discovered an asteroid after it has passed earth. On June 5, asteroid 2020 LD measuring nearly 100 metres in diameter, travelling at a speed of 60,826 miles per hour, came even closer to the earth than the moon.
Representational Image/Reuters
According to the European Space Agency (ESA), the space rock was 0.8 lunar distances away from earth. That means, if the moon is 384,317 km away from earth, asteroid 2020 LD was 307,454 km away when it flew by. It wasn't detected until two days later.
The same happened when an asteroid came ¡®uncomfortably¡¯ close to earth in 2019.
Let¡¯s learn about the biggest asteroids in the past years that came closer to earth than the lunar distance (distance between the earth and the moon).
2019 OK
Asteroid 2019 OK approached Earth on July 24 about 40,400 miles (65,000 kilometers) which is just one fifth the distance to the Moon. Even though other smaller asteroids have passed the blue planet at a closer distance there have been none so large according to NASA.
This is the video of the close encounter of Asteroid 2019 OK:
¡ª ASAS-SN (@SuperASASSN) July 25, 2019
2019 OK was estimated to be 195-425 feet (60-130 meters) in size. The asteroid¡¯s approach was found the same day it passed. This is the closest distance that any large asteroid came to earth in some years.
2018 AH
A large asteroid designated 2018 AH flew past Earth at 0.77 LD at a distance of 297 699 km / 184 982 miles on January 2, 2018, it was discovered only two days later. According to The Watchers, it was the largest asteroid to pass earth within one Lunar distance since 2011. Its estimated diameter was 84 - 190 m (275 - 693 feet).
Also Read: Four Asteroids Are Approaching Earth Says NASA
Representational Image/Pinterest
2017 QP1
Asteroid 2017 QP1 was discovered on August 16, 2017, again, two days after its closest approach to earth. It passed by the Earth at a distance of 62 640 km (0.17 times the average distance between the Earth and the Moon. Even though not very large it was the largest asteroid that year to have come close to earth with a diameter of 26-82 m.
It is not uncommon for asteroids to fly between the blue planet and its satellite; smaller asteroids pass without posing any risk. The next asteroid predicted to come really close to earth will fly by in September 2020.
