An asteroid capable of destroying human civilization in the event of a collision with the planet Earth is already approaching our planet. The maximum rapprochement will occur in April 2020. The information is confirmed by the observations of the American space agency NASA.
The asteroid is monitored by NASA's automated tracking systems located at the Center for the Study of Near-Earth Objects in California, USA. The asteroid was officially named 52768 (1998 OR2). Its diameter is approximately 4.1 kilometers.
Such a large object could potentially mean the end of the human race if it hits the planet. According to NASA estimates, the space rock is moving in our direction at a speed of about 8.7 km per second, or 31,320 km / h. At this speed, the asteroid will approach Earth on April 29.
According to the Planetary Society, an asteroid over 1 kilometer in diameter is large enough to cause global destruction. At the moment, the chance of a collision with planet Earth is estimated at 1 in 50,000. Here is what Ph.D. Bruce Betts of the international astronomer community has to say about this:
'Small asteroids, several meters in diameter, often hit and burn up in the Earth's atmosphere, causing little damage. Asteroids the size of the 2013 Chelyabinsk meteorite – about 20 meters in diameter – create shock waves that shatter windows and cause injury. The size of Tunguska, which hit Siberia in 1908, was about 40 meters, this asteroid could completely destroy the city or create a tsunami. '
'Large asteroids that enter the Earth's atmosphere extremely rarely can cause the destruction of a huge region and cause a global catastrophe'
The destructive potential of space rocks of this size was also described in a 2018 report published by the US National Council of Science and Technology. The Near-Earth Objects Readiness Strategy states:
'Objects with a radius of more than one kilometer or more can cause damage on a global scale. They can cause earthquakes, tsunamis and other secondary impacts that extend far beyond the immediate impact area. '
By comparison, the asteroid believed to have killed the dinosaurs was roughly 10 kilometers in diameter. According to NASA estimates, the asteroid 1998 OR2 is between 1.5 and 4.1 kilometers in diameter.
The space rock was seen orbiting the Sun in 1987, and NASA confirmed its trajectory on June 30, 1987. Astronomers classify the rock as a 'potentially hazardous' NEO or near-Earth object. In the near future, the space rock will approach our planet at about 0.04205 astronomical units. One astronomical unit is the average distance from our planet to the Sun, about 149.6 million kilometers.
