An asteroid is on its way to Earth , but do n’t concern — the death is not here . The asteroid , dubbed 2023 BU , is about the size of a box hand truck and is not project to bear upon our satellite during its flyby on Thursday . However , it will be “ one of the closest approaches by a know near - globe target ever put down , ” according to a NASA scientist .
NASA ’s Jet Propulsion Lab said in areleaseon Wednesday that 2023 BU is about 11.5 to 28 feet ( 3.5 to 8.5 meters ) wide , which is small enough to mostly burn up in our atmosphere if it were to hit us . But NASA does n’t expect 2023 BU to slam into the planet ; instead the asteroid will pass about 2,200 miles ( 3,600 kilometers ) above the southerly tip of South America on Thursday , January 26 , at 4:32 p.m. PST . NASA was able to calculate the position and flight of the asteroid usingNear Earth Asteroid Scout , a hazard judgment system .
“ Scout chop-chop decree out 2023 BU as an impactor , but despite the very few observation , it was even so able-bodied to predict that the asteroid would make an extraordinarily close approach with Earth , ” read Davide Farnocchia , a navigation railroad engineer at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory who developed Scout . “ In fact , this is one of the skinny approaches by a have a go at it near - world object ever recorded . ”
2023 BU will pass over the southern tip of South America on January 26.Illustration: NASA/JPL-Caltech
2023 BU is go by closer to us than some of the satellites revolve our planet , and Earth ’s soberness is changing the asteroid ’s path around the Sun from rotary to more elongated . The asteroid was describe by Gennadiy Borisov at the MARGO observatory in Nauchnyi , Crimea on January 21 . Since then , observatory across the planet have also detect 2023 BU , conduce to robust models of the asteroid ’s path and potential hazard .
Astronomers ’ sleuthing of and prompt field of study of 2023 BU show how robust humanity ’s asteroid espial workflow is becoming . Our ability to finally defend our planet is advancing , too , after thesuccessful DART test mission to head off asteroidlast October .
Near - Earth physical object
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