icon bookmark-bicon bookmarkicon cameraicon checkicon chevron downicon chevron lefticon chevron righticon chevron upicon closeicon v-compressicon downloadicon editicon v-expandicon fbicon fileicon filtericon flag ruicon full chevron downicon full chevron lefticon full chevron righticon full chevron upicon gpicon insicon mailicon moveicon-musicicon mutedicon nomutedicon okicon v-pauseicon v-playicon searchicon shareicon sign inicon sign upicon stepbackicon stepforicon swipe downicon tagicon tagsicon tgicon trashicon twicon vkicon yticon wticon fm
20 Jan, 2020 15:01

NASA asteroid warning: Not one but TWO huge space rocks to hurtle past Earth today

NASA asteroid warning: Not one but TWO huge space rocks to hurtle past Earth today

The new year brings with it new asteroid threats, with NASA warning of two close cosmic flybys in a single day following a busy festive period of Near Earth Object (NEO) approaches to our planet.

The first NEO to buzz the Earth today is identified as 2020 AQ1 – and was only first spotted on January 11. Happily, the 755ft-diameter space rock screamed safely by us at roughly 2:54am EST, passing a mere 0.026 AU from Earth – 2.5 million miles from the planet’s core – at a speed of 61,500 miles per hour. 

The asteroid will head out into the Milky Way, but it is expected to make another loop around and come back this way on August 23, 2104. Were an object of that size and velocity to hit the Earth, it could level an entire city in seconds.

Also on rt.com Cutting it close: NASA just detected two asteroids headed towards the Earth… with two more right behind

Next up on Monday is 2013 DU, estimated to be up to 308 feet in diameter, travelling at a (relatively) paltry 14,226 mph, much slower than its earlier cosmic counterpart. It’s expected to pass the Earth at 9:19pm EST, at a safe distance of 0.083 AU or 3.5 million miles.

The ESA has identified 21,655 NEO asteroids and 109 NEO comets, all of which pose a potential threat to our planet. However, as shown by space rocks like 2020 AQ1, which was only discovered less than two weeks ago, there are many more potential dangers lurking out there in space.

Like this story? Share it with a friend!

Podcasts
0:00
12:56
0:00
14:16