Asteroid set to pass close to Earth today
Photo Credit: Pixabay An asteroid known as 2016 LK49 is scheduled to have a close encounter with Earth today, coming within a distance of just 4.14 million miles.
Photo Credit: Pixabay Asteroid 2016 LK49 is scheduled to have a close encounter with Earth today, coming within an approximate distance of 4.14 million miles.
Photo Credit: Pixabay The asteroid has a 70-foot diameter and is hurtling through space at an astonishing speed of 19.4 kilometers per second, as stated in the latest NASA update.
Photo Credit: Pixabay 2016 LK49 has been categorized as an Apollo group asteroid. These asteroids are a subset of near-Earth asteroids.
Photo Credit: Pixabay The previous close encounter with Earth for this asteroid occurred in December, 2020. The next time it comes calling on Earth will be in December 2027.
Photo Credit: Pixabay Instead, if they enter Earth's atmosphere, the friction encountered causes them to disintegrate in an airburst.
Photo Credit: Pixabay This explosive breakup occurs at an altitude of approximately 11 kilometers, resulting in no impact crater.
Photo Credit: Pixabay The energy released during such an event is equivalent to roughly two megatons of TNT.
Photo Credit: NASA Nonetheless, even without a direct impact, an airburst can have significant repercussions on the surface especially if it happens above densely populated areas.
Photo Credit: Pixabay Advanced asteroid monitoring networks are activated in the event that an asteroid is projected to hit Earth's atmosphere
Click here