NASA has a new impact monitoring system in place called Sentry-II to calculate the risk of Near-Earth Objects. Nearly 28,000 near-Earth asteroids have been discovered using various tech instruments. NASA has revealed details about Asteroid 2023 KW2, which is estimated to be roughly 210 feet wide and is set to reach its nearest distance to Earth on June 6 at a distance of 4.5 million kilometers. Although the distance may seem considerable, it’s relatively minor in terms of astronomical measurements, considering the massive size of the asteroid. An asteroid was the reason behind the extinction of dinosaurs nearly 65 million years ago.
Based on NASA, a colossal asteroid named 2023 KW2 is set to make its closest approach to Earth soon. The asteroid is estimated to be roughly 210 feet wide, which is comparable in size to a large aircraft like the Boeing 747. This enormity has intrigued scientists, and if the asteroid were to collide with the planet, it could cause immense destruction, particularly if it landed in a densely populated region.
To track asteroids, NASA has a new impact monitoring system called Sentry-II, which uses an algorithm to calculate the impact risk of Near-Earth Objects. NASA can track the orbital path of the asteroid using this infrared data and predict its orbit years into the future. As of now, nearly 28,000 near-Earth asteroids have been discovered using various tech instruments that track objects in the sky.
Asteroid 2023 KW2 is set to reach its nearest distance to Earth on June 6 at a distance of 4.5 million kilometers. While this distance may seem considerable, it’s relatively minor in terms of astronomical measurements, considering the massive size of the asteroid. In fact, the asteroid is already dashing towards Earth, at a fiery speed of 36350 kilometers per hour!
Although asteroids have been safely passing near Earth these past few months, it doesn’t mean a collision with the planet isn’t on the cards. In fact, an asteroid was the reason behind the extinction of one of the largest species on the planet nearly 65 million years ago – dinosaurs. Based on the Alvarez hypothesis, the extinction was caused by a massive asteroid that crashed on Earth more than 65 million years ago. The asteroid terraformed the planet and is likely the reason that started the extinction of dinosaurs. Scientists have even found the impact crater of the asteroid in Chicxulub, near the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico.
In recent years, there have been a few asteroid impacts that have caused concern. The Chelyabinsk incident happened a few years ago, and much before that, the Tunguska event. The largest asteroid to hit Earth was around 2 billion years ago.
With the help of advanced tech, NASA can track asteroids and predict their movements. The impact monitoring system called Sentry-II can calculate the impact risk of Near-Earth Objects, and NASA can track the orbital path of the asteroid using infrared data. As a result, NASA can predict the asteroid’s orbit years into the future, which helps them prepare for any potential collisions.
In the grand scheme of things, the colossal size of Asteroid 2023 KW2 has intrigued scientists, and NASA is on alert as it is set to make its closest approach to Earth soon. While the distance may seem considerable, it’s relatively minor in terms of astronomical measurements, considering the massive size of the asteroid. With advanced tech, NASA can predict the asteroid’s movements and prepare for any potential collisions, ensuring the safety of the planet.
