With barely missed Earth asteroid about the size of the MSU – Moskovsky Komsomolets

It is part of a class of potentially hazardous

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According to the Minor Planet Center of the International Astronomical Union today at about 10 am Moscow time close to the ground flew potentially hazardous asteroid (281375), or 2008 JV19, size comparable to the main building of Moscow state University.

Photo: pixabay.com

According to various estimates, the asteroid’s diameter is

from 140 to 410 meters. 2008 JV19 was opened in 2008 and is ascribed to a class of potentially dangerous. This does not mean that the probability of collision with our planet is high, but it is impossible to say that it tends to zero. Potentially dangerous objects include a diameter greater than 100 meters, if they cross the Earth’s orbit at a distance of less than 0.05 astronomical units, which is about 20 times the distance from Earth to the Moon. In case of a fall on our planet similar objects capable of causing unprecedented destruction and huge tsunami.

At the time of closest approach distance between the (281 375) and the Earth today was 17.6 million kilometers. It is worth noting that the last time an asteroid flew by the planet in the past year on September 1, 2015 and he was much closer to her – only 6.5 million kilometers

A few months ago, missed the Earth. another very large asteroid – 2007 MK6 diameter from 200 to 600 meters. Distance to him amounted to 15.2 million kilometers. In the future, this asteroid, according to experts, does not threaten Earth, but it is possible that one day he will crash into Mars. And in the future, the Earth will approach the record with a huge asteroid called Faeton, likely “progenitor” Geminids meteor shower. He would be at a distance of about 10 million kilometers. Although this time it will not pose a threat to the planet in the future, he will fly closer to it.