Dinosaurs vanished from Earth approximately 66 million years ago due to an asteroid impact. Another giant asteroid is scheduled to approach close to Earth, though it is not quite as big as the one previous.
As of June 25, science-focused media outlets such as Live Science report that asteroid 2011 UL21—which is in the top 1% of near-Earth asteroids in terms of size— is predicted to approach Earth on June 27,
At roughly 4.1 million miles or 1.3 times the distance between Earth and the Sun and 17 times the distance between Earth and the Moon, the asteroid will pass Earth. Though there is little chance of a collision, this will be the closest approach since 1900. The asteroid 2011 UL21 is bigger than most mountains, with a diameter of 1.4 miles. According to the European Space Agency (ESA), it is among the top 1% of Near-Earth Objects (NEOs). It is one-fifth the size of the dinosaur-extinct asteroid and one-tenth the size of the giant asteroid to strike Earth, the Bredfort asteroid.
The asteroid can be observed with binoculars during its close encounter with Earth. Itay’s Bellatrix Astronomical Observatory in Secano will make the event available online by live-streaming it on YouTube for 15 minutes starting at 4 PM EST on June 27.
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) classifies and monitors asteroids with an average diameter of 0.08 miles or more and are within 4.6 million miles of Earth as Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs).
2011 UL21, which satisfies the criteria for both distance and size, is under surveillance. This asteroid will come closest to Earth again in 2089.
“While small asteroid collisions can occur, there is no chance that an asteroid collision that poses a threat to Earth will occur within the next 1,00 years,” Live Science reported.
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