Famous Crimean astronomer Gennady Borisovthe discoverer of the first interstellar comet, announced the discovery of a new asteroid that flew near the Earth on March 31 at about 19:00 Moscow time.
The celestial body flew at a distance of about 28-30 thousand kilometers from our planet, which corresponds to the orbit of geostationary satellites.
According to Borisov, the asteroid is relatively small in size – about 2-3 meters in diameter. The astronomer sent his observations to the Minor Planet Center, where they were published on the Near-Earth Asteroid Confirmations page. In addition, other observatories observed the asteroid for several hours.
Currently, it is quite difficult to accurately determine the group of asteroids to which the discovered object belongs. Near-term observations will help clarify the trajectory and orbital parameters of the asteroid. Borisov noted that the Earth’s gravity will certainly affect its further movement. The results of observations and calculations will be published on the official website of the Minor Planet Center of the International Astronomical Union.
It is worth noting that Gennady Borisov is an outstanding astronomer; in 2019 he discovered the first interstellar comet, which received his name – 2I/Borisov. In addition, the scientist also discovered several other comets and asteroids.
