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One more asteroid It is expected to pass more than a mile across Earth on Wednesday, although scientists insist it poses no danger.
Known as (52768) 1998 OR2, the asteroid will hit about 6.3 million km away, 16 times the distance to the moon, when it gets closer.
The Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico has been tracking the 1.9 km-wide space rock as it gets closer, after NASA first saw it in 1998. Scientists have joked that the latest image of the asteroid appears to be wearing a mask due to dust and debris passing around him.
“Small-scale topographic features such as hills and ridges at one end of the 1998 OR2 asteroid are scientifically fascinating,” said Anne Virkki, director of Planetary Radar at the observatory. “But since we’re all thinking about Covid-19, these features make it seem like OR2 1998 remembers wearing a mask.”
The asteroid is classified as a PHO (potentially dangerous object) because it is larger than 140m and will reach eight million kilometers from Earth’s orbit, but no known PHO represents an immediate danger to the planet. However, scientists continue to monitor the asteroid to see how it will move beyond 2020.
“Radar measurements allow us to know more precisely where the asteroid will be in the future, including its future approaches to Earth,” said Flaviane Venditti, research scientist at the observatory. “In 2079, the 1998 asteroid OR2 will pass Earth approximately 3.5 times closer than this year, so it is important to know its orbit accurately.”
The team began observations on April 13 and will continue to collect data until April 23, when the asteroid will no longer be visible from the facility.
“Although this asteroid is not projected to impact Earth, it is important to understand the characteristics of these types of objects to improve impact risk mitigation technologies,” added Virkki.
