NASA Alerts: Five Asteroids Approaching Earth from August 27 to September 1, 2024

NASA has issued a warning about five asteroids that will pass by Earth between August 27 and September 1, 2024. These near-Earth objects (NEOs) are being actively tracked by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, although they pose no threat to our planet.

You can find details of asteroids along with their sizes and approach dates in the table below –

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Asteroid Name	Estimated size	Closest date	Closest distance
2020 RL	110 feet	August 27, 2024	4.68 million km (2.91 million miles)
2021 RA10	92 feet	August 28, 2024	2.61 million km (1.62 million miles)
2012 SX49	64 feet	August 29, 2024	4.29 million km (2.66 million miles)
2016 RJ20	210 feet	August 30, 2024	6.99 million km (4.34 million miles)
2021 Jetstar	38 feet	September 1, 2024	6.36 million km (3.89 million miles)

The Importance of Monitoring Asteroids

Asteroids are remnants of the formation of the solar system, which was formed about 4.6 billion years ago. They are located in the asteroid belt between Jupiter and Mars and are therefore blocked by the sun’s rays.

Scientists believe they bear primitive signatures of the early solar system; studying them will give researchers a better understanding of how life originated on Earth.

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Other studies have also provided scientific evidence to support the hypothesis that the Chicxulub impactor, which caused one of the worst mass extinctions about 66 million years ago, was indeed an asteroid.

While no asteroids are expected to come close to Earth in the next seven days, people must remain vigilant, as we have seen with recent asteroid experiences.

Possible risks from an asteroid of this size

The danger of asteroids is associated with space objects, especially given their size and flight paths. While space rocks the size of a semi-truck or smaller will burn up in the atmosphere or leave small craters, large meteorites can be deadly.

Below is a look at possible threats from asteroids between 11.5 and 33 meters in diameter, similar to those observed by NASA in recent months.

1. Impact damage

Large asteroids hitting the Earth’s surface can cause massive damage, especially if they explode in midair. For example, the 1908 Tunguska event was probably an asteroid exploding over Siberia, flattening as many as 80 million trees over an area of ​​2,000 square kilometers.

It can be seen that if an asteroid of the same size exploded in any major city today, it would likely kill tens of millions of people at the same time, which means that the number of people who died at the same time could be greater than the number of deaths caused by any war or liberation movement in the world today.

2. Airburst effect

Asteroids smaller than one kilometer in diameter, including those between 38 and 110 feet in altitude, are capable of causing airbursts. When the asteroid breaks up in the stratosphere, it creates a shock wave that can cause widespread destruction of land.

Even if the asteroid does not hit the Earth’s surface, the energy generated by its explosion may be so great that people may suffer serious physical injuries and buildings may be shattered.

3. Climate Disruption

The asteroids observed so far do not pose a significant threat to Earth, but larger asteroids, especially those larger than one kilometer in diameter, will have long-term effects on the climate.

The serious consequence is that dust and particles will spread into space, blocking the sun, thus forming a nuclear winter. This may have a huge impact on the entire agriculture, leading to food shortages and even social collapse.

4. Frequency of Near-Earth Object Encounters

Asteroids, both large and small, regularly approach Earth. Although the chance of a large asteroid hitting Earth is small, many small asteroids may pass near Earth. Monitoring is needed to determine what threats may exist and the level of risk that may occur.

NASA’s alert highlights the importance of continued asteroid monitoring and the need to build a strong planetary defense system. By closely monitoring these near-Earth objects, scientists can collect valuable data that will help them better understand the formation of the solar system and the origin of life on Earth. In addition, this data can also be used to develop effective strategies to protect our Earth from potential asteroid impacts in the future.

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Source: https://dinhtienhoang.edu.vn
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