An asteroid discovered this week will make a very close approach to Earth, NASA announced. It will approach a distance of 3,600 kilometers from our planet, so it does not represent any danger.
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According to the US space agency, the asteroid 2023 BU was discovered by amateur astronomer Gennadiy Borisov on Saturday from an observatory in Crimea.
“Despite very few observations, he was able to predict that the asteroid will come extraordinarily close to Earth,” said Davide Farnocchia, who helped develop the Scout impact risk assessment system.
“In fact, this is one of the closest known approaches of an object to Earth ever recorded,” he added.
The asteroid is between 3.5 and 8.5 meters wide. Even if it did hit the planet, as it passed through the atmosphere it would disintegrate into smaller pieces.
The body will pass through the southern tip of South America around 19:27 (Ecuador time).
Previously, the asteroid took 359 days to complete its orbit around the Sun, but after this near-Earth passage, it will take 425, NASA said. (YO)
Source: Eluniverso
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