BEWARE! A 100-foot wide Killer asteroid is heading towards the Earth, says NASA

2022 QP3, a 100-foot wide asteroid, is going to make its closest approach to the Earth on August 28, according to NASA and can pose a horrific threat to us. What is the likelihood of a strike? Find out.

By: HT TECH
| Updated on: Aug 24 2022, 12:52 IST
Asteroid fun facts in pics: NASA reveals all you need to know
Asteroid
1/5 Space is full of objects, out of which only a few have been discovered. Asteroids are some of these objects. If you are not aware about the dangerous objects called asteroids, here are some facts you should know. First, did you know that asteroids are sometimes called minor planets? Well, they are. (Pixabay)
Asteroid
2/5 Differences between an Asteroid, Comet, Meteoroid, Meteor and Meteorite: According to the information provided by NASA, Asteroid is a relatively small, inactive, rocky body orbiting the Sun. Comet is a relatively small, at times active, object whose ice can vaporize in sunlight forming an atmosphere (coma) of dust and gas and, sometimes, a tail of dust and/or gas. Meteoroid is a small particle from a comet or asteroid orbiting the Sun. Meteor is the light phenomena which results when a meteoroid enters the Earth's atmosphere and vaporizes, in short, a shooting star. While, Meteorite is a meteoroid that survives its passage through the Earth's atmosphere and lands upon the Earth's surface. (NASA)
Asteroid
3/5 Asteroid: Size, frequency and impact- More than 100 tons of dust and sand sized particles are bombarded towards Earth everyday, according to NASA. While, about once a year, an automobile-sized asteroid hits Earth's atmosphere, creates an impressive fireball, and burns up before reaching the surface. Every 2,000 years or so, a meteoroid the size of a football field hits Earth and causes significant damage to the area. Only once every few million years, an object large enough to threaten Earth's civilization comes along. Impact craters on Earth, the moon and other planetary bodies are evidence of these occurrences. Space rocks smaller than about 25 meters (about 82 feet) will most likely burn up as they enter the Earth's atmosphere and cause little or no damage. By comparison, asteroids that populate the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, and pose no threat to Earth, can be as big as 940 kilometers (about 583 miles) across. (NASA)
Asteroid
4/5 How is an Asteroid Orbit Calculated? An asteroid's orbit is computed by finding the elliptical path about the sun that best fits the available observations of the object. That is, the object's computed path about the sun is adjusted until the predictions of where the asteroid should have appeared in the sky at several observed times match the positions where the object was actually observed to be at those same times. (Pixabay)
Asteroid
5/5 What is NASA doing to find and learn more about potentially hazardous asteroids and comets? NASA has established a Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDCO), managed in the Planetary Science Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. The PDCO ensures the early detection of potentially hazardous objects (PHOs) - asteroids and comets whose orbits are predicted to bring them within 0.05 Astronomical Units of Earth (5 million miles or 8 million kilometers) and of a size large enough to reach Earth's surface - that is, greater than approximately 30 to 50 meters. NASA tracks and characterizes these objects and issues warnings about potential impacts, providing timely and accurate information. NASA also leads the coordination of U.S. Government planning for response to an actual impact threat. (AFP)
Asteroid
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NASA has spotted a 100-foot wide asteroid which will approach dangerously close to the Earth on August 28. Know if you should be concerned. (Pixabay)

NASA has just reported an issue of concern. It says that a 100-foot wide asteroid is heading towards the Earth. The massive asteroid is expected to make its closest approach to the Earth on August 28 and there is a slight risk that it might deviate from its path and move towards our planet due to the Earth's gravitational pull. At its size, if the asteroid did strike the planet, it could cause a terrible disaster. Not only would it flatten tens of kilometers of land, the shockwaves will cause damage hundreds of kilometers in all directions. The impact can also cause seismic activity resulting in tectonic plates shifting and resulting in strong earthquakes and tsunamis all over the region. With such a terrifying scenario at hand, how likely is it that the asteroid will strike the Earth? Read on to find out.

A 100-foot asteroid is zooming towards the Earth

There are some key facts about this asteroid revealed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Small-Body database, departments of NASA. The asteroid is named 2022 QP3, where the year describes the first time it was spotted. Due to the fact that this particular space rock wasn't discovered until August 22, not a lot of information is available about it. A close approach of up to 5.5 million kilometers is expected. But do not think it is too far. The Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) estimates that it is traveling at 28,548 kilometers per hour and can close the distance to Earth in days.

The asteroid has been labeled as a near-Earth object. NEO asteroids are those which are large enough and close enough to the planet to have a realistic chance of hitting it and causing damage.

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However, there is no reason to worry a lot. Based on NASA's prediction models, it appears that the asteroid will not approach too close to the Earth and will pass safely by it. Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDCO) of NASA is carefully monitoring the planet to ensure that there are no last moment deviations and if it does happen, we find out as soon as possible.

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First Published Date: 24 Aug, 12:52 IST
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