Written by Reananda Hidayat PermonoCompleted Master of Science - MS, Petroleum Geology from Curtin University, Perth, Australia.
Astronomers Discovered an Asteroid Heading Our Way
NASA Planetary Defence Coordination Office explained a newly discovered asteroid called 2023 DW will make a close swing by Earth in 2046.
Precisely, the asteroid will make the pass on Valentine’s Day 2046.
Scientists have measured the entity, with 165 ft. (50 m) wide or around the size of an international swimming pool, which has a 1 in 560 chance of colliding with Earth.
The chance is small, but everything can change in 23 years, including the rock’s path.
It was first spotted on Feb. 27, so astronomers still need more data to accurately predict the asteroid’s future trajectory.
NASA tweeted that it takes several weeks of data to adequately predict a new object’s orbit years into the future.
Therefore, orbit analysts will continue to study asteroid 2023 DW as more data comes in.
Should we be worried?
First, its size is not that big.
The asteroid 2023 DW is nowhere near the 12 km asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs 65 million years ago.
NASA is giving 2023 DW one point on the Torino scale, ten points as the highest score.
One point means a routine discovery that poses no unusual level of danger for Earth.
The asteroid will pass the Earth no closer than 7.5 million km or 18 times farther than the Moon distance.