Nusantaratv.com – An asteroid the size of a swimming pool has a 1 in 600 chance of hitting Earth, according to the Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
The asteroid named 2023 DW could collide with Earth in February 2046. However, it is hoped that the impact will not be severe. Launch Live ScienceOn Thursday (9/3/2023), an asteroid could make a dangerous approach to Earth about 20 years from now, with about a 1 in 600 chance that the space rock will collide directly with Earth, NASA’s Office of Planetary Defense Coordination said in a tweet. on a Twitter account.
While that is a higher-than-average risk level for a near-Earth asteroid, it is still an “extremely unlikely” impact, wrote NASA, which is expected to decrease as clearer observations of the asteroid become available.
First detected on February 27, the asteroid dubbed 2023 DW is estimated to be about 50 meters in diameter, or roughly the length of an Olympic-sized swimming pool. The asteroid is expected to make a very close approach to Earth on February 14, 2046.
On March 8, the European Space Agency’s Near-Earth Object Coordination Center predicted a 1 in 625 chance, although the odds are recalculated daily. “Often when a new object is first discovered, it takes several weeks of data to reduce uncertainty and adequately predict its orbit for years into the future,” NASA tweeted.
“Orbit analysts will continue to monitor asteroid 2023 DW and update predictions as more data comes in,” he continued.
A direct impact from such a rock would not be as catastrophic as the 12-kilometer-wide dinosaur apocalypse asteroid that crashed into Earth 66 million years ago. However, DW 2023 could still cause extensive damage if it lands near a large city or densely populated area.
For example, a meteorite less than half the size of DW 2023 exploded over Chelyabinsk, Russia, in 2013, generating a shockwave that damaged thousands of buildings and injured around 1,500 people.
In order to destroy a city, the size of an asteroid is at least three times 2023 DW or about 150 meters in diameter. While impact with DW 2023 is highly unlikely. Scientists are rapidly developing methods to protect Earth from potentially dangerous asteroids like this one.
Last week, NASA scientists published four studies confirming the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission had successfully altered the small asteroid’s trajectory after crashing a spacecraft directly into it.
Follow-up missions are currently being worked on to further hone the effectiveness of this planetary defense technique.
