WTF is that?! The space debris and asteroids hurtling towards Earth

In the next week, our planet will experience one near miss and one impact. What else is heading our way? Every day, Earth is hit by something from space. It is a sobering thought that we live on the celestial equivalent of a dartboard, especially since we are taught that the dinosaurs were wiped out

ShortcutsAstronomy

In the next week, our planet will experience one near miss and one impact. What else is heading our way?

Every day, Earth is hit by something from space. It is a sobering thought that we live on the celestial equivalent of a dartboard, especially since we are taught that the dinosaurs were wiped out by the impact of a giant asteroid 65m years ago.

Astronomers at the European Space Agency’s Near Earth Object Coordination Centre (NEOCC), in Frascati, Italy, place objects that show even the slightest hint of striking our planet in the next century on a risk list, which currently contains 524 objects.

They can be either naturally occurring asteroids or human-made space debris. Most of it is small and burns up harmlessly in the atmosphere. These objects are then targeted for follow-up observations so that their orbits can be more precisely measured and, in the vast majority of cases, impact ruled out.

Occasionally, as happened over Chelyabinsk, Russia, in February 2013, we are struck by a larger space rock whose disintegration causes damage on Earth. However, in the next week, the NEOCC has confirmed that Earth is going to experience one near-miss and one impact. Both events pose very little danger to the public, but they do highlight the need for continued monitoring.

The following will be hurtling towards Earth in the not-too-distant future.

WT1190F

The only known object that is certain to hit us, this is thought to be a returning piece of rocket that will strike Earth’s atmosphere on 13 November. Aptly dubbed “WTF”, it’s due to come down about 100km off the coast of Sri Lanka, around noon local time. Anyone on the beach looking southeast at the time could see a spectacular display as it will be visible as it burns up.

2015 TB145

This 400-metre wide asteroid will pass safely by the Earth at a distance of 480,000km on 31 October. Dubbed the Halloween asteroid, it is travelling at 35km per second, faster than all other known near-Earth asteroids. Although it will pass further from Earth than the moon, astronomers consider this a close pass.

410777 2009 FD

This is the only known asteroid that warrants any level of unusual concern. Although it will miss the Earth on Thursday by 16 times the distance of the moon, it will make a very close approach to Earth on 3 March 2185. Uncertainties in the way the asteroid’s path may change, because of the way it is being heated by the Sun, result in a one in 369 chance of an impact. The asteroid is 160 metres across, about eight times larger than the Chelyabinsk meteor. Astronomers are monitoring it very closely.

85990 1999JV6

This is the largest asteroid that is known to be making a close pass to Earth. It is 498 metres wide and will pass Earth on 6 January 2016 at 12.6 times the distance of the moon. There is no chance of it hitting our planet.

2012 RU16

Although 2015 TB145 is the fastest and closest near-miss known to be coming up, 2012 RU16 runs a close second for distance. On 24 June 2016, this 32-metre-wide space rock will pass Earth just 3.6 times further from our planet than the moon. Again, there is no danger to our planet.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTEoKyaqpSerq96wqikaKuTnrKvr8RoqqGnoqmwtsDSaGlpaWVkvKTAjmtvaK%2Bkm3qqv4ytn5qsXam1pnnSqZicnV2ZsqO%2ByKxkmqaUYq60wMSrpqKco2K1tr7TpaCnn12pvLit0Z2qZp2Rp8Gp

 Share!