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We now have a good picture of the large space rock that will fly across Earth next week.
On Saturday (April 18), the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, it captured a radar image of the asteroid OR2 1998, which will approach 3.9 million miles (6.3 million km) from our planet on April 29.
For perspective: the moon orbits Earth at an average distance of approximately 239,000 miles (385,000 km). So we have nothing to fear Earth flyby of asteroid 1998 OR2 on April 29, scientists emphasize.
Related: Potentially dangerous asteroids (images)
Members of the Arecibo team have been wearing masks in the workplace to help minimize the spread of the new coronavirus, and they apparently see themselves a little on the approaching space rock.
“#TeamRadar and @NAICobservatory staff are taking adequate security measures as we continue the observations. This week we have been observing the near-Earth 1998 asteroid OR2, which looks like it is wearing a mask! It has at least 1 .5 km wide and passes 16 “moon distances away!” Team members tweeted on saturday through the @AreciboRadar account. (@AreciboRadar is not an official Arecibo account. But @NAICobservatory is, and retweeted the April 18 post.)
#TeamRadar and @NAICobservatory staff are taking appropriate security measures as we continue observations. This week we have been observing the near-Earth 1998 asteroid OR2, which appears to be wearing a mask! It is at least 1.5 km wide and passes 16 lunar distances! pic.twitter.com/X2mQJCT2QgApril 18, 2020
The Arecibo researchers aren’t the only ones monitoring the 1998 OR2. For example, Italian astrophysicist Gianluca Masi, who runs the Online Virtual Telescope Project, has been tracking the asteroid too.
And Masi will continue to do so. On April 28, in fact, he will host a live stream about 1998 OR2 It will have telescopic views of the object.
Astronomers estimate that the 1998 OR2 is between 1.1 and 2.5 miles (1.8 to 4.1 kilometers) wide, large enough that an impact could threaten human civilization. But, to repeat, there is nothing to fear here; the asteroid will miss us by a wide margin on April 29.
In fact, you must quell any general fear of death from above that may be rampant in your head. NASA has found and tracked the vast majority of giant near-Earth asteroids, and none of them pose a threat to Earth for the foreseeable future.
Mike Wall is the author of “Out there“(Grand Central Publishing, 2018; illustrated by Karl Tate), a book about the search for extraterrestrial life. Follow him on Twitter @michaeldwall. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom or Facebook.
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