Thanks to their close contact with asteroids, NASA, ESA and other space agencies have developed technology to track these space rocks in their orbits and even deflect them if potential impact scenarios develop. Using its extraordinary technology, NASA has now revealed the asteroid that is expected to pass by Earth today, December 25. According to details published by the Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS), the asteroid has been designated as Asteroid 2020 KT4. Learn all about its proximity to Earth.
Asteroid 2020 KT4: Speed, Size, Distance and More
Asteroid 2020 KT4 is expected to pass Earth today at a distance of approximately 5.1 million kilometers. It is already flying towards Earth in orbit at a speed of 26,197 kilometers per hour, even faster than an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM)! This space rock is included in the Apollo group of near-Earth asteroids, namely space rocks that intersect the Earth with their semi-major axis being larger than the Earth’s axis.
This asteroid is named after the large asteroid Apollo of 1862, which was discovered by German astronomer Karl Reinmuth in the 1930s.
According to NASA, this is not the first time the asteroid 2020 KT4 has approached Earth. It first passed the planet on October 4, 1906, at a distance of about 72 million kilometers. After today, it will pass the planet at a distance of 59 million kilometers on July 8, 2024.
How big is it?
Asteroid 2020 KT4 is almost the size of a large airplane and almost 250 feet wide! However, the object has not been classified as a potentially dangerous object and does not pose a threat to Earth.
The secret ingredient of life was found in asteroids
Did you know that while asteroids may pose a threat to Earth, they may also contain the secret ingredient to life? Amazing, right? Recent research conducted by the WA-Organic and Isotope Geochemistry Center (WA-OIGC) in Australia detected and extracted polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) from samples of the Ryugu asteroid and Murchison meteorite. According to a report from Curtin University, PAHs “most likely form in cold interstellar regions, not in hot regions near stars as previously thought.”
Study co-author Dr Alex Holman from WA-OIGC said: “This study gives us valuable insight into how organic compounds form beyond Earth and where they come from in space. The use of advanced methods and creative experiments shows that certain PAHs on asteroids can form in cold space.”
2023-12-25 05:28:14
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