Image copyright Thinkstock A massive asteroid passed last night by the Earth at a distance of less than 500 thousand km.
He has already received an informal name “Halloween”, although its astronomical symbol – TV145. Some astronomers call it the “Big Pumpkin,” by paying attention to its shape and the association with the holiday of witches.
The researchers point out that there is no danger of a collision of a celestial body with the planet was not, as it passed in the distance, greater than the average distance between the Moon and Earth.
However, Dr. Detlef Kochnov from the European Space Agency (ESA) said that the disturbing here is the fact that such a large asteroid was discovered on the approach to the Earth in just 21 the day before its closest approach.
“This emphasizes the need for continuous monitoring of near-Earth space,” – he said.
Currently, the asteroid TV145 removed from the planet in the next 100 years did not approach her. It is not included in the official list of the ESA potentially dangerous near-Earth objects.
The asteroid visible diameter of 400 meters was first discovered by astronomers in Hawaii on October 10 this year.
The scientists know almost nothing about its chemical composition, although its reflectivity is relatively low.
Astronomers believe that in the vicinity of the Earth, there are about 5,000 near-Earth objects of similar sizes, many of which have not yet been observed instrumentally.
ESA creates a telescopic automated system, which should be ready for testing by the end of 2016. It is specially designed for fixation of such objects in the night sky.
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