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An asteroid with a diameter between 22 and 49 meters will pass Earth at a distance closer than Earth from the Moon on Tuesday, according to the United States’ National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
“Will the #asteroid 2011 ES4 hit Earth? No! ES4 2011’s close approach is ‘close’ on an astronomical scale, but it poses no danger of hitting Earth. #PlanetaryDefense experts hope it will safely pass to minus 45,000 miles (792,000 football fields) away on Tuesday, September 1, “NASA Asteroid Watch posted on its Twitter account on Saturday.
NASA estimates the relative speed of the asteroid to be around 8.16 km per second.
The last time asteroid 2011 ES4 passed Earth it was visible from the ground for four days. This time, it will be closer to Earth than before with an estimated distance of 1.2 lakh km, closer than that of the Moon, which is 3.84 lakh km from Earth.
The asteroid listed as a potentially dangerous asteroid was first discovered in the spring of 2011 and passes the Earth every nine years.
A “potentially dangerous asteroid” is currently defined on the basis of parameters that measure the potential of the asteroid to make near-Earth threats, according to NASA.
Source (s): Xinhua News Agency
