NASA Addresses Rumors of Giant Asteroid Impacting Earth in 2024

Novina Putri Bestari, CNBC Indonesia

Tech

Tuesday, 09/01/2024 20:30 WIB

Photo: Asteroid Illustration (NASA doc)

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – It is rumored that an asteroid will hit Earth in October 2024. The United States (US) Space Agency has opened its voice regarding this matter.

The asteroid in question is 2007 FT3 with energy equivalent to 2.6 billion tons of TNT. FT3 was first discovered in 2007 and is included in the table of objects with the potential to impact Earth, NASA’s Sentry Risk Table.

But NASA says there is no threat to Earth in the future. The agency confirmed that it had made observations of objects approaching Earth.

“There is no known threat of asteroid impacts on Earth in the next century. NASA and its partners diligently observe the sky to find, track and categorize asteroids and near-Earth objects (NEOs), including those approaching Earth,” explained a NASA spokesperson, quoted from IFL Science, Tuesday (9/1/2024).

FT3 measures 314 meters. The asteroid is also said to have disappeared from NASA’s view.

NASA observations did not find this object. Asteroids are said to be too faint and invisible.

But finally within two days, the asteroid was observed at 14 arc points. IFL Science mention of this sighting allows astronomers to calculate the orbit and potential collision with Earth.

With this calculation, NASA’s Center for Near Earth Object Studies identified 89 potential impacts. Including October 5, 2023.

For information, the same calculations predicted a collision or near-Earth object in 2019. However, this never happened.

NASA explains that the closest object is 30 million miles (around 48.2 million km). The bigger the asteroid, the easier it will be for observers to find it.

“The larger an asteroid, the easier it is for planetary defense experts to find it. This means that its orbit around the Sun has been known and understood for years or decades,” explained NASA.

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