Watch: ‘Potentially hazardous’ Asteroid passes Earth [video]

Take a deep breath, we’re safe. Yes, a giant, mall-sized asteroid passed Earth on Wednesday 29 April 2020. However, there was no chance of a collision as the rock missed us by approximately 6 million kilometres.

Asteroid 1998 OR2: Here’s what you need to know

It’s a ‘potentially hazardous’ space rock

Asteroid 1998 OR2 is classified as a “potentially hazardous, near-Earth asteroid” that makes a “close approach” to Earth every once in a while. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory discovered it in July 1998.

Any fast-moving space object that comes within around 7.48 million kilometres is considered to be “potentially hazardous” by cautious space organisations.

In addition, NASA astronomers have been able to track the asteroid for the past two decades, and “understand its orbital trajectory very precisely”.

Moreover, the team assures us that they can “say with confidence that his asteroid poses no possibility of impact”. Well, at least for the next 200 years.

It could potentially impact Earth in future

Astronomers might have reason to worry by then. The next time Asteroid 1998 OR2 will pass by Earth, will occur in 2079. It will pass by even closer then, approximately four times the lunar distance, or 1.8 million km away.

“1998 OR2 is still categorised as a large ‘potentially hazardous asteroid’ because, over the course of millennia, very slight changes in the asteroid’s orbit may cause it to present more of a hazard to Earth than it does now.”

NASA, Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Watch: Radar imagery of Asteroid 1998 OR2 passing Earth

It’s quite large

Using the imagery from the Arecibo Observatory, the team of astronomers estimated that Asteroid 1998 OR2 spans approximately 2 kilometres in length, similar to the National Mall in Washington DC.

“The radar measurements allow us to know more precisely where the asteroid will be in the future, including its future close approaches to Earth. In 2079, Asteroid 1998 OR2 will pass Earth about 3.5 times closer than it will this year; it is important to know its orbit precisely.”

Flaviane Venditti, a research scientist at Arecibo Observatory

It’s very considerate of our lockdown

An image from the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico went viral when a researcher remarked that the asteroid was “donning a face mask before approaching Earth.”

Of course, it was just a play of light, but we’d like to thank the space rock for being so considerate.

The Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico captured this radar image of the big asteroid 1998 OR2 on 17 April 2020. The asteroid passed by Earth at a distance of 6.3 million kilometers on 29 April 2020. Image credit: Arecibo Observatory

Close shave on 28 April

Asteroid 1998 OR2 wasn’t the only space rock kind enough to pay us a visit this week. Asteroid 2020 HS7, which measures between 4 to 8 metres, passed by Earth on 28 April at a distance of 36 400 kilometres.

It never posed a risk to our planet. NASA says that even it was on a collision course with Earth, it would disintegrate before it passes through our atmosphere.

NASA also said that “small asteroids like this pass by Earth a few times per month”. That brings us to the next point…

NASA doomsday list

We survived this flyby but don’t get too excited. Just in case we forget how insignificant were are – floating on a green globe through the vastness of space – NASA is keeping a list of asteroids which could potentially slam into Earth.

Sentry: Future impact events database

The list is officially known as “Sentry: Earth Impact Monitoring” and summarises “potential future Earth impact events”. The list currently contains 22 high-risk space rocks.

“Sentry is a highly automated collision monitoring system that continually scans the most current asteroid catalogue for possibilities of future impact with Earth over the next 100 years.”

Asteroids which could potentially impact Earth

One of the entries on the list – Asteroid 2009 JF1 – was discovered more than a decade ago. It measures only 12 metres in diameter. It is expected to fly by or hit Earth in 2022.

Another tiny asteroid, known as 2018 VP1, is expected to arrive at some point between 2020 and 2025. The largest asteroid on the list isn’t actually expected to come into contact with Earth until the year 2880.

That mister of a space rock is called 29075 (1950 DA), and it is almost three times as big as the Empire State Building; roughly 1.3 kilometres in diameter. It could cause significant damage if it impacts Earth.