An asteroid currently being tracked by NASA's Center for the Study of Near Earth Objects (CENOS), known as 2020 EF, will fly close enough to the planet to 'cause an air blast'.
However, as the agency explains, we're safe anyway – the asteroid is too small to withstand contact with Earth's atmosphere.
The space rock is currently in orbit, intersecting with Earth and rapidly approaching, at over 16,000 kilometers per hour. According to CNEOS researchers, the diameter of the asteroid is about 30 meters.
2020 EF has been classified as an asteroid from the 'Aton' group, a group of asteroids whose orbits naturally approach and even intersect with Earth's orbit. This particular one moves in a very wide orbit around the Sun, like the Earth.
After 2020 EF approaches the Earth, the asteroid 2020 DP4, which is moving at a higher speed and slightly more than 2020 EF, will approach the Earth.
By being so small, 2020 EF won't collide with the Earth's surface – exploding if it hits Earth's atmosphere, NASA explains.
The last recorded air explosion of the asteroid occurred over Chelyabinsk, which caused an outbreak 30 times brighter than the Sun.
The asteroid is expected to approach Earth on March 19 at 6:15 am Moscow time.
Sources: Photo: NASA / JPL-Caltech, https://www.ibtimes.com/asteroid-could-cause-atmospheric-explosion-if-it-gets-too-close-2940563
