Photo: NASA / Getty Images
By: The Opinion Updated 30 Dec 2022, 0: 37 am EST
In the next few days, a giant asteroid of about 100 meters wide it will pass safely next to the Earth approaching about 1200.14 km when its closest approach occurs.
The Agency European Space Agency (ESA) named this new celestial body “Christmas asteroid” because it will pass close to the Earth very close to the date of the end of the year parties.
The ESA clarifies that the proximity with which the asteroid will pass from Earth does not pose a danger to our planet
, even though it is a big rock
“Our Christmas asteroid, RN14, is not a threat, but as much s other medium-sized space rocks, we don’t know much about it,” said ESA.
Astronomers aren’t sure it’s orbiting well either, though they are sure it will at least not crash into Earth in the next century.
ESA asks to photograph the asteroid
ESA asked amateur astronomers to search for the huge chunk of rock in space, officially named 1200 RN30, and they take a picture of him.
According to the agency: “We don’t call this a challenge for nothing. 1200 RN37 will not shine in the heavens as the star of Bethlehem did millennia ago. No. Smaller than the Statue of Liberty, this asteroid is quite small on an astronomical scale. And when it comes to flybys, with a distance just under twice that of the Moon, it’s not likely to make the headlines.”
Despite this, ESA pointed out that stargazers who use telescopes of 37 cm or more may see the Christmas asteroid as it whizzes past the Blue Planet.
The space agency added: If you manage to spot it, share your observations on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or Reddit using the hashtag #ESAChristmasAsteroid, along with a little of information about you and your location. We can’t wait to see your dots and trails, which probably won’t appear on mobile and computer screensavers, but which signify ancient remnants of the early Solar System and, above all, are the daily bread of planetary defense around the world. .
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