Astronomers are also excited to observe this “potentially dangerous asteroid”. According to NASA, an asteroid, which is called 2001 FO32 , formed at the beginning of the Solar System and it is the largest space rock expected to fly past Earth this year.
Scientists calculate the asteroid will not get this close again until 2052. As such, this offers astronomers a rare opportunity to observe prehistoric rock at very close range.
“Observations from 20 years ago reveal that about 15% of near-Earth asteroids that are comparable in size to FO32 2001 have small moons,” said Lance Benner, principal scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, in his official statement. NBC news.
“At the moment little is known about the object. So the very close proximity provides a tremendous opportunity to learn a lot about this asteroid,” he added.
The asteroid was discovered in 2001 when astronomers at the Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research observatory in New Mexico estimated the space rock’s width to be 3,000 feet. Scientists are trying to see the spectrum of light reflected from the rocky surface using a telescope at the top of Mauna Kea in Hawaii. Also read: Road Vaccination, Don’t Forget Health Protocols
(iqb)
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