April 24, 2024

Athens News

News in English from Greece

A giant asteroid is approaching Earth at great speed

A giant asteroid is approaching the Earth, but scientists reassure: there is nothing to be afraid of, it must fly by.

How writes Daily Mail, in a week the cosmic body, which was given the name “Christmas asteroid”, will approach our planet at the closest distance. The European Space Agency ESA said that the size of the asteroid is 140 meters and, according to NASA classification, it is considered potentially dangerous for our planet. The agency said in a statement:

“The data on its trajectory show that it flies at a tremendous speed of 21,000 km/h and this Thursday will approach the Earth at a distance of 680,000 km. By space standards, this is very close, although almost twice the distance from our planet to the moon. If an asteroid of this size is closer than 7.5 million km from the Earth, then it is already considered potentially dangerous. “

Stargazers in the Southern Hemisphere will have the best view of the asteroid, but those in Europe will also be able to see it until December 19th. To mark the close approach, the European Space Agency is urging amateur astronomers to find space rock 2015 RN35 and photograph it.

And NASA, meanwhile, said that today, December 14, two more asteroids will approach the Earth. They are smaller and do not threaten us either.



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