Falling new meteorite destruction threatens Europe – Moskovsky Komsomolets

Russian scientists have discovered a dangerous asteroid that orbits, involving a collision with the Earth

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celestial body that could collide with the Earth, recorded with the help of a network of robotic telescopes MASTER created MSU. MV Lomonosov Moscow State University, in collaboration with three domestic universities, Kislovodsk Station of the Pulkovo Observatory of Sciences and the University of San Juan (Argentina).

The approximate orbit of the asteroid is already known: it flies from within the solar system, flying three planets – Earth, Venus and Mars. Approximately the same direction and flew Chelyabinsk meteorite, said “to Lenta.ru».

Professor of Moscow State University. MV Lomonosov Moscow State University, Project Manager of the Global Network of telescopes-Robot Master Vladimir Lipunova told that the new meteorite collision with Earth may lead to a strong tsunami or destroy the whole of Europe.

«The new asteroid was discovered in 2014 UR116 two days ago. We caught him as he flew past Earth at a distance of one hundred times smaller than the Earth-Sun. Its size is more than 370 m in cross-section, which is about 20 times larger meteorite Chelyabinsk – said Lipunov. – We raised it high on the list of potentially dangerous asteroids such as Apophis ».

As explained by the professor, all the asteroids are divided into three groups: normal asteroids that fly between Mars and Jupiter, close asteroids are approaching the Earth’s orbit as well as potentially dangerous – those that cross the Earth’s orbit and may collide with the Earth. New asteroid belongs to the latter group of celestial bodies.

«There is a danger of collision of an asteroid with the Earth. Asteroid is quite dangerous, depending on where it hits. If he gets into a fairly large body of water, for example, in the sea, it will cause a strong tsunami that demolished the coastal cities. If, for example, gets to a nuclear power plant, it would threaten the whole of Europe – said Lipunov. – On the possible timing of its collision with the Earth to speak early, because we watched him only two days. Besides asteroids are constantly exposed to the influence of planets. This asteroid’s orbit is such that it passes by Earth, Venus and Mars, that is, under constant influence of the three planets, which adjusts its orbit. So now you can call one time, and when the asteroid will fly past Mars, its trajectory may change. Thus it is safe to say that the next two years, the collision would not ».