Distance of 7.4 million km
The US space agency has also said that the 330m – 750m large asteroid will reach its minimum distance of 7.4 million km, 19 times the average lunar distance on that day. However, it will not harm the Earth. It may be noted that 7.4 million km is not a very large distance in astronomy where the distance is measured in light years, that is, the distance covered by a ray of light in one year.
Scientists have discovered that an asteroid of this size hit our earth 52,000 years ago. If this asteroid collides with the Earth, it will create a crater 2.2 kilometers in length and 467 meters deep. It will release energy equivalent to 424 megatons of TNT. It may create havoc and destroy the immediate vicinity completely. It may create shock waves with a strength of 249 decibels, flattening nearby structures. But at the same time, NASA has also said that the asteroid may not collide with the Earth.
What is an asteroid?
An asteroid is a rocky, metallic, or icy body with no atmosphere, it is present in our solar system. It is neither a true planet nor an identified comet, that orbits within the inner Solar System. The size and shape of asteroids vary significantly, ranging from small rubble piles under a kilometer across and larger than meteoroids, to Ceres, a dwarf planet almost 1,000 km in diameter.
Earlier, NASA warned that an asteroid that is as big as 280 feet will come very close to Earth on April 21. This was Asteroid 2024 GM and it was predicted to come very close to our planet – some 4,450,000. However, it passed the Earth and went back into the deep solar system where it came from.
FAQs:
When will Asteroid 2024 CR9 come closer to the Earth?
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has warned that Asteroid 2024 CR9 will come closer to the Earth on June 11.
What is an asteroid?
An asteroid is a rocky, metallic, or icy body with no atmosphere, it is present in our solar system. It is neither a true planet nor an identified comet, that orbits within the inner Solar System.
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