Posted: Aug 31, 2020 2:04:59 pm
The asteroid is believed to be twice the size of the Giza pyramids (Source: Representational Image / Getty)
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has been tracking an asteroid that is twice the size of the iconic Egyptian monument, the Pyramid of Giza. The gigantic celestial object is expected to collide with Earth’s orbit around 3:30 p.m. IST on September 6. The asteroid is reportedly up to 270 meters wide and 886 feet tall.
The massive asteroid has been classified as an Apollo asteroid because it crosses Earth’s orbit. It was first discovered by astronomers a decade ago and was named 465824 (2010 FR).
However, scientists from the Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) confirmed that, like many asteroids that have been seen flying around our planet lately, it will not be a threat.
According to NASA, a NEO is a term used to describe “comets and asteroids that have been pushed by the gravitational pull of near planets into orbits that allow them to enter the vicinity of Earth.”
The asteroid in question is a NEO and is 1.3 astronomical units from the Sun (1au = 14.95.97.871 kilometers).
Although asteroids like these are harmless due to their distance from Earth, they can get closer than expected due to the gravitational pull of other planets that can result in a change in the trajectory of their orbit. Not only this, but the Yarkovsky effect can also push an asteroid’s orbit. The orbit change occurs when an asteroid absorbs sunlight and then re-emits that energy in the form of heat or radiation.
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“Occasionally, the orbital trajectories of asteroids are influenced by the gravitational pull of the planets, which causes their trajectories to alter. Scientists believe that lost asteroids or fragments from previous collisions have crashed into Earth in the past, playing an important role in the evolution of our planet, ”NASA said.
Also, on September 1, asteroid 2011 ES4 will be closer to our planet than the Moon. The estimated distance from the asteroid to Earth is 1.2 lakh km. It will also not be a threat to our planet due to the distance and its small size, which will be destroyed upon entering the Earth’s atmosphere.
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