An asteroid about 50 % the size of an Olympic swimming pool will quickly pass by Earth at a “close” length of all over 120,000km.
The asteroid, 2011 ES4, is nonetheless classed as “potentially hazardous” even nevertheless it will be between 72,000km and 16 million kilometres absent when it passes on Tuesday. The moon, by comparison, is 384,000km absent from Earth.
NASA is self-assured it’s not likely to hit us.
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Will #asteroid 2011 ES4 hit Earth? 🌎 No! 2011 ES4’s near strategy is “close” on an astronomical scale but poses no hazard of basically hitting Earth. #PlanetaryDefense experts anticipate it to properly pass by at minimum 45,000 miles (792,000 football fields) absent on Tuesday Sept. 1.
— NASA Asteroid Watch (@AsteroidWatch) August 28, 2020
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The previous time the asteroid handed by in March 2011, it was noticeable more than a four-working day period.
This time it appears it will occur a bit closer and may be obvious for even lengthier, even as it moves past Earth at a velocity of extra than 8km/next.
The 2011 ES4 asteroid will be joined in the skies by a scaled-down asteroid recognised as 2020 QG5, which hasn’t been seen considering the fact that 2004.
It, nevertheless, will be noticeably more away at all over 2.9 million kilometres.
An asteroid is designated a “near Earth object” if it arrives within just a variety of close to 50 million kilometres.
At first published as Asteroid coming ‘close’ to Earth
