Two Potentially Hazardous Asteroids to Approach Earth Next Week
In the upcoming days, two potentially dangerous asteroids will approach Earth, citing the Keldysh Institute of Applied Mathematics of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS).
“In mid-June, two large potentially dangerous asteroids – (488453) 1993 XD and 2020 DB5 – will pass close to Earth, reaching a brightness just above the 14th magnitude. Their absolute brightness is almost the same (H=19.2…19.3), which means the asteroids may have similar sizes (approximately 400-800 meters). On June 12, our planet and asteroid 1994 XD will be separated by 3.2 million kilometers (eight times farther than the Moon),” said the Institute’s report.
It is noted that the asteroid 1994 XD was discovered in December 1994, and on June 12 it will approach the closest distance to our planet since its discovery. As for the asteroid 2020 DB5, it will pass at a distance about 11 times farther than the Moon on June 15. As suggested by the name, this object was discovered in 2020.
The institute emphasized that many Near-Earth Asteroids (NEAs) are still unknown to scientists and could theoretically “fall on our heads”. However, the probability of this happening is low, as the institute emphasized. “We are tracking both asteroids at the ISON-Kitab observatory. The Goldstone radar in California plans to refine the size and shape of the objects,” the institute’s report said.
Scientists and astronomers continue to observe and study these and other NEAs to better understand their trajectories, providing valuable data for the ongoing development of potential planetary defense strategies.
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- I'm Vasyl Kolomiiets, a seasoned tech journalist regularly contributing to global publications. Having a profound background in information technologies, I seamlessly blended my technical expertise with my passion for writing, venturing into technology journalism. I've covered a wide range of topics including cutting-edge developments and their impacts on society, contributing to leading tech platforms.
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