NASA asteroid hunters have identified five other close flybys this week but, even more worryingly, they have also identified a space rock that will soon pass between Earth and the Moon.
In very alarming news from NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS), asteroid hunters have identified a ‘potentially dangerous’ asteroid due to passing Earth in September at a miserable distance of 71,805 km, just a fifth of the distance between us and La Luna (384,399km).
The 2011 asteroid ES4, measuring 160 feet (49 meters), is expected to vibrate Earth at 29,375 km / h on September 1 at 10:49 am EDT (3:49 pm BST).
Fortunately, given its somewhat small diameter, even if it were to drift off course and really hit us, it wouldn’t be the end of life as we know it, though it would certainly be a huge blow.
For context, the Chelyabinsk meteorite that exploded over Russia on February 15, 2013 was only 18 meters in diameter, but was still large enough to cause significant localized damage.
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The energy released by the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima exploded with up to 33 times. Some 1,491 people were injured in the incident, mainly from debris such as broken glass or burns to the skin due to the brightness of the explosion, which was 30 times more intense than the Sun.
At least 112 had to be hospitalized immediately after the incident, two in serious condition.
So in the unlikely event that 2011 ES4, almost three times the size of the Chelyabinsk meteorite, deviated and paid us an even closer visit than expected, the damage could be substantial.
Meanwhile, on Monday, two asteroids measuring at least 30 meters, 2020 KJ7 (30m, about half the size of the Leaning Tower of Pisa) and 2009 OS5 (42m, or half the size of the Statue of the Libertad) will pass us at a distance of 4.5 million and 6.75 million kilometers respectively.
On Tuesday, the 2020 asteroid MQ2 (42m), which measures five London buses in diameter, will pass us 6.4 million kilometers, followed on Thursday by 2020 NM (21m or one and a half times the height of the Hollywood sign), which it will fire at a safe distance of four million kilometers.
On Friday, in the rear, will be the MX MX 2020 (48m) the size of the Arc de Triomphe, which will fly 5.6 million kilometers and end another week of relatively close calls for our planet.
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