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| Reuters / NASA |
An asteroid the size five football fields is approaching Earth and is
expected to pass by on Monday. It will be visible through strong
binoculars – definitely worth getting; the next time such an asteroid
could be this close again will be in 2027.
At the closest point to the Earth, asteroid 2004 BL86 will be at
a distance of 1.2 million kilometers which – approximately three
times the distance from the Earth to the moon. Estimated to be
0.5 km in diameter, it is classified by scientists as potentially
dangerous.
A space object is considered
“potentially dangerous” if
it crosses the Earth's orbit at a distance of less than 0.05 AU
(approximately 19.5 distances from the Earth to the Moon), and if
its diameter exceeds 100-150 meters. Objects of this size are
large enough to cause unprecedented destruction, or generate a
tsunami in case they fall into the ocean.
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| This graphic depicts the passage of asteroid 2004 BL86. (Image credit:NASA/JPL-Caltech) |
However, according to astronomers, there is no threat of the
object colliding with our planet this time.
“While it poses no threat to Earth for the foreseeable
future, it’s a relatively close approach by a relatively large
asteroid, so it provides us a unique opportunity to observe and
learn more,” Don Yeomans from NASA's Near Earth Object
Program at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory said in a statement.
It is very rare that such a huge space body comes this close to
Earth. The next time an asteroid might be passing by will be in
2027, when 1999 AN10 flies past Earth. As for 2004 BL86 itself,
it can be monitored from Earth for another 200 years.
Astronomers strongly recommend trying to catch this unique
opportunity to spot an asteroid in the sky. It will be possible
on January 26 between 11:07 pm and 11:52 pm ET (04:07 and 04:52
GMT).
It will be best seen in the Americas, Europe, and Africa. Amateur
astronomers will be able to observe it with small telescopes and
even strong binoculars.
“I may grab my favorite binoculars and give it a shot
myself,” Yeomans said in the statement.
“Asteroids are
something special. Not only did asteroids provide Earth with the
building blocks of life and much of its water, but in the future,
they will become valuable resources for mineral ores and other
vital natural resources.”
Numerous observatories all over the world will use this
opportunity to learn something new about 2004 BL86. NASA's Deep
Space Network antenna at Goldstone, California, and the Arecibo
Observatory in Puerto Rico will try to procure scientific data
and radar-generated images of the asteroid while it is in its
closest position to the Earth.
“When we get our radar data back the day after the flyby, we
will have the first detailed images,” radar astronomer Lance
Benne said.
“At present, we know almost nothing about the
asteroid, so there are bound to be surprises.”
2004 BL86 was discovered on January 30, 2004, by the Lincoln
Near-Earth Asteroid Research (LINEAR), responsible for the
majority of asteroid discoveries from 1998 until 2005, when it
was overtaken by the Catalina Sky Survey (CSS). The asteroid
orbits the Sun every 1.84 years.
