A The asteroid, which is estimated to be 1 kilometer wide or 2.5 times the size of the Empire State Building, will pass close to Earth on January 18. The approaching asteroid is known as 7482 (1994 PC1) and was discovered in 1994, according to NASA.
According to NASA’s Center for Near Earth Object Studies, which tracks potentially dangerous comets and asteroids that could collide with Earth, the asteroid will pass within 1,931,212 kilometers of Earth and travel at a speed of 19.56 kilometers per second.
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The asteroid’s sufficiently large speed would allow amateur astronomers to view the asteroid as a point of light, similar to a star at night. The asteroid will glow at about magnitude 10. An object of magnitude 10 is a target that can be caught by observers using telescopes 6 inches or larger than dark sky sites.
No one expected asteroid 7482 (1994 PC1) to hit Earth, but it is the closest asteroid will come over the next two centuries. This is NASA’s prediction. The asteroid’s closest trajectory is expected to take place on Tuesday January 18 at 4:51 p.m. ET.
How to see it?
Celestial enthusiasts using small telescopes with precise time and location references may be able to spot asteroid (7482) 1994 PC1. For North America, observers with telescopes have the best chance of seeing the large asteroid a few hours after its closest trajectory on January 18.
Another good technique for viewing asteroids is to attach the camera to the telescope and take a 30 to 45 second exposure. Point the camera and telescope at a star or reference object on the asteroid’s trajectory.
Although the asteroid (7482) 1994 PC1 would be an excellent target for astronomers using the Goldstone Radar in California, USA, unfortunately the DSS-14 radar antenna will not be able to study the space rock because it is still in the works. maintenance.
Not the biggest
This asteroid will not be the largest asteroid ever to sweep Earth. That honor belongs to the asteroid 3122 Florence (1981 ET3), which flew and failed to collide with Earth on September 1, 2017. The asteroid, which is estimated to be between 4 kilometers and 8.85 kilometers wide, will return again on September 2, 2057.
In September this year, a NASA spacecraft will also deliberately crash into an asteroid to change its motion through space, a test technology developed to deflect asteroid impact.
Known as the DART mission, or Double Asteroid Redirection Test, the spacecraft took aim at Dimorphos, a small moon orbiting the asteroid Near-Earth Didymos.
Near-Earth objects are asteroids and comets with orbits that place them within 48 million kilometers of Earth. Detecting threatened near-Earth objects, or NEOs, that could potentially cause severe damage is a major focus of NASA and other space organizations around the world.(aru)
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