NASA’s impact monitoring system has detected the largest and most dangerous asteroid that could hit Earth. If this asteroid collides with Earth, it could cause an event of extinction partial on the planet.
The dangerous asteroid has been identified by NASA as 29075 (1950 DA). This asteroid is currently being tracked by Sentry, which is the automated asteroid impact monitoring system of the POT. With an estimated diameter of approximately 1,320 meters, 29075 (1950 DA) is currently the largest asteroid on the list of Sentry that has the possibility of hitting the Earth.
According to NASA, 29075 (1950 DA) is classified as an Apollo asteroid, which means it has a wide orbit that surrounds the Sun and Earth. Occasionally, the asteroid’s orbit intersects with Earth’s when the planet cycles around the giant star.
Due to its natural orbit that crosses the Earth and its gigantic size, 29075 (1950 DA) has been labeled as a potentially dangerous asteroid.
NASA explained in a release:
Potentially dangerous asteroids are currently defined based on parameters that measure the potential of the asteroid to make threatening approaches to Earth. Specifically, all asteroids with a minimum orbit intersection distance of 0.05 astronomical units or less and an absolute magnitude of 22.0 or less are considered (potentially dangerous asteroids). ”
Unlike the other asteroids that are on the list of Sentry, only a potential impact on Earth was detected for 29075 (1950 DA). Depending on the monitoring system, this impact event could take place on March 16, 2880.
Sentry He noted that if the asteroid ends up hitting Earth on this date, it could do so with a speed of more than 64,374 kilometers per hour. The speed of the asteroid, combined with its massive size, indicates that an impact event in 29075 (1950 DA) would cause high levels of destruction on Earth.
Although this asteroid is smaller than the one that caused the extinction of dinosaurs millions of years ago, 29075 (1950 DA) is still large enough to completely eliminate entire cities and even states. The energy that will be released from its impact could be powerful enough to cause extreme environmental effects.
As we have already said, the question is not: will an asteroid collide with the Earth? The question is when will it do so?
Source: IBTimes
