There are a lot of space rocks out there and we bang very fiddling about them . Most of them remain all unsung to us , others get discovered only when they get too confining to our planet . This is the font of asteroid 2019 SP3 which is flee over our heads today , October 3 .
The ethereal physical structure is or so the size of a construction , between 15 and 33 meters ( 49 to 108 feet ) in diameter . SP3 ’s orbit is take it slightly nearer than the Moon is to Earth , roughly 370,000 kilometers ( 230,000 mile ) from the planet surface , consort toNASA ’s data .
While this is sure enough a “ tightlipped approach path ” in cosmic full term , there ’s nothing to vex about . The rock-and-roll will extend in its orbit around the Sun undisturbed . It actuate with a hurrying of 8.53 kilometer ( 5.3 mile ) per second and does a full eye socket in 1,416 Clarence Shepard Day Jr. , almost four long time .
While this object specifically pose no terror to us , it is a reminder of the potential jeopardy we confront from the nirvana . The asteroid was only discovered on September 22 . Other asteroids have reveal just hr before they fly by , and others have just hit us .
To get an idea of what would happen if 2019 SP3 were to arrive at our planet we can look to theChelyabinsk eventthat occurred in 2013 when a meteor rough the same size explode over the Russian townspeople . The asteroid burned up in the atmosphere creating a bright flash of light and releasing enough vigour that a sonic godsend shattered windows for 518 substantial kilometre ( 200 square miles ) , with over 7,200 damaged buildings and a collapsed mill roof . Over 1,600 non - direct injuries occurred , mainly due to flying glass .
There are rough 20,000 known near - Earth Asteroids separate into four families look on their orbital argument . About 10 percentage of these are count Potentially Hazardous Asteroids , or PHAs . quad agencies such as NASA and ESA are keeping an eye on the all and observatories and amateurs worldwide often serendipitously spot new ones .
The delegacy also run " Asteroid Impact Simulation " physical exertion to project and prepare for an asteroid encroachment . They win some , and lose some . Thelast oneheld earlier this year saw New York accidentally destroy to save its projected quarry of Denver , highlight the challenge we are likely to witness both before , during , and after the outcome if such a threat was discover .
