Its orbit is within trace tangent to Earth’s orbit. However, the Earth will be safe on the other side of the Sun when that happens. A model that should last for hundreds of years.
Starting from ABC newsNovember 3, 2022, the asteroid is visible in the region within the orbits of the Earth and Venus, the region is known to be notoriously difficult to observe because the asteroid researchers have to compete with sunlight.
What do you think of this article?
The findings, along with the discovery of two other asteroids that did not collide with Earth, were published on Monday, October 31, 2022 via the Astronomical Journal.
“Our twilight survey explores the area inside orbit Earth and Venus looking for asteroids, “said Scott S Sheppard, astronomer with the Carnegie Institution for Science Earth and Planets Laboratory and lead author of the paper.
According to the study authors, if an asteroid of that size were to hit Earth, it would experience sunlight and cause a mass extinction event.
Fortunately for Earthlings, the chances of a collision are slim as Earth will be on the opposite side of the Sun when 22AP7 is expected to enter the planet’s orbit. Astronomers predict that this pattern will continue for centuries because the asteroid takes five years to complete one orbit around the sun.
The other asteroids, named 2021 LJ4 and 2021 PH27, have orbits that remain safe within Earth’s orbit.
“There are likely only a few NEAs of similar size to be discovered, and these large undiscovered asteroids likely have orbits that keep them in the orbits of Earth and Venus most of the time,” Sheppard said.
Although PH27 2021 poses no direct threat to Earth, it is scientifically interesting because the rock is the closest known asteroid to the Sun.
Therefore, during the part of its orbit closest to the Sun, the rock’s surface becomes hot enough to melt lead. (Mustafidhotul Ummah)
(FYR)
