Posted: September 1, 2020 11:30:53 am
A representative image of a near-Earth object (Source: NASA / JPL-Caltech)
Two asteroids named 2011 ES4 and 2020 QG5 with a diameter of 19 meters and 49 meters respectively will approach Earth on September 1. Both asteroids have been classified as Near Earth Objects (NEO) due to their distance from our planet. .
Asteroid 2011 ES4
Despite their trajectory, both asteroids are not expected to collide with Earth. The estimated distance of asteroid 2011 ES4 is 1.2 lakh km. This will be the closest approach of the particular asteroid to Earth. It will be much closer to us than the moon, which is 3.84 lakh kilometers from our planet. The closest any known asteroid will get to Earth will be more than a decade later, in 2032.
“Will the #asteroid 2011 ES4 make it to Earth? Not! ES4 2011’s close approach is “close” on an astronomical scale, but poses no danger of hitting Earth. #PlanetaryDefense experts expect it to pass safely at least 45,000 miles (792,000 football fields) away on Tuesday, September 1, “NASA Asteroid Watch wrote in a tweet.
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According to NASA estimates, the relative speed of the asteroid will be about 1.8 kilometers per second. The last time asteroid 2011 ES4 approached Earth was in 2011 and it was visible for four days. However, this time it can be visible from the ground through a telescope.
Asteroid 2020 Q5G
On the other hand, asteroid 2020 QG5 made its last approach to Earth 16 years ago on August 11, 2004. It will be 29 lakh km from our planet in its closest approach. There is no chance that 2020 QG5 will enter an impact trajectory even if its orbit is altered by the gravitational pull of other planets.
In early August, asteroid 2018 VP1 was predicted to pass one day before the US presidential election on November 2. Again, the chances of it having an impact were as bleak as 0.41 percent. Even if it gets in the way of Earth, it will burn to ashes as it enters Earth’s atmosphere.
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