Photo: Courtesy of Nasa / Getty Images
NASA reported that a large asteroid will pass close to Earth’s orbit . The space agency indicated that the object can be seen at approximately 3: 00 am ET this Friday, May 4.
The rocky body was baptized by scientists as 138971 (1900 CB21) and has a diameter of about 4,000 feet. In practical terms this represents almost 4 times the height of the Eiffel Tower in France.
According to calculations made by astronomers, At its closest point to our planet, the comet will be traveling at a speed of 26,800 miles per hour, so that in a hypothetical case of collision the consequent explosion could wipe out the human race.
The 138971 (2001 CB21) is part of a relatively small group of comets that are classified as “potentially dangerous”. The reason for this is the proximity between the asteroid and Earth.
At its closest moment, the rocky body will be at a distance of about 3 million kilometers and although this figure may seem extremely large, in astronomical terms it is extremely small. Is the equivalent of approximately 12 times the distance that separates Earth from NASA.
According to the portal web Space Reference, the 2001 CB21 has a size that makes it larger than about 97% of asteroids known.
Due to its orbit, the 138971 (2001 CB21) visits our planet about 1 time every year. Its discovery by the scientific community occurred on 21 February 1900 when it was sighted by experts for the first time.
Prior to its arrival on this occasion, Gianluca Masi, astronomer of the Virtual Telescope Project in Italy, managed to make an image of the rock when it was more than 10.5 million miles.
To give a perspective of the size of this asteroid we have that its height is equivalent to almost a tenth of the meteorite that killed the dinosaurs .
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