A large asteroid will fly through outer space near our planet on Sunday, May 22 at 2:26 UT. More than one kilometer in diameter, it is the largest object of its kind to fly near our space home in recent months.
The NASA CNEOS website has a constantly updated list of so-called Near-Earth asteroids, ie. objects that pass in relatively close proximity to our planet.
Huge asteroid
Among the nearest events of this type, the encounter with asteroid No. 7335, also known under the temporary designation 1989 JA, stands out.
This property was discovered on May 1, 1989. This was done by Eleanor Helin at the Palomar Observatory in the USA. The object’s orbit is well known. In the year of its discovery, it was close to our planet, then flew in 1996 and 2015, but was much further. This year the convergence will be closer than in 1989.
space speed
The body will pass us at a relative speed of 13.12 km / s, which is over 47,000 kilometers per hour. The shortest distance will be about 4 million kilometers, which is just over 10 times the distance from the Earth to the Moon. Scientists are confident in their calculations with an accuracy of only 153 km, so we can be calm – the collision is safe for us, astronomers reassure.
Size estimates indicate 1.8 km in diameter, although later calculations scaled it down to about one kilometer. Radar observations showed that the rotation period was 12 hours. The body is a class S, or rocky, silicate material (one of the most common types of asteroids).
Where can you track?
NASA has a website where you can track the distribution of more interesting asteroids in the solar system. Object 7335, its orbit and current position can be checked on NASA’s Asteroid Tracking website.