An ‘alarming’ asteroid the size of a football is on a trajectory towards our planet, a UK scientist has warned. Named Asteroid 2008 OS7, this colossal object measures approximately 900 metres in diameter and is anticipated to pass by Earth on Friday, although fortunately at a safe distance.
Dr. Minjae Kim, a Research Fellow in the Department of Physics at the University of Warwick, disclosed, “2008 OS7, a very small asteroid whose orbit intersects with that of Earth, has been labelled as a ‘Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)’ by NASA.”
As per NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, this asteroid is projected to approach Earth at approximately 2:41 pm, at a distance of about 0.01908 au (around 1,773,596 miles), at a velocity of 11.3 miles per second.
“There are literally millions of asteroids traversing our Solar System, of which around 2,350 have been identified as PHAs,” Dr. Kim emphasized. “The next significant visitor to Earth from this classification will be the 99942 Apophis on April 14, 2029.”
One of the most intriguing characteristics of the asteroid is its estimated diameter, ranging from 0.221 to 0.494 kilometres. To provide context, this places it in the range of a small to moderately sized asteroid, roughly equivalent to the size of a football field.
Regrettably, asteroids of this nature are exceedingly challenging to detect using current technology and surveys, making them virtually impossible to observe with the naked eye. The only ones visible without the aid of a telescope are Pallas and Vesta, both of which have diameters of around 500 km.
The Centre for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) at NASA is tasked with monitoring the orbits of all known near-Earth objects, predicting their close approaches with Earth, and conducting hazard assessments in support of the agency’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
In addition to Asteroid 2008 OS7, four other objects are also anticipated to have close encounters with Earth between now and Friday. These include 2024 BR3 (100 feet), 2024BR (63 feet), 2003 BM03 (120 feet), and 2024 BJ03 (73 feet).
Rest assured, while these asteroids may be a spectacle to witness, they pose no actual risk of coming into contact with Earth. Although they may evoke some concern, they are all part of the captivating celestial events that remind us of the marvels of our universe.