Are there any potentially dangerous asteroids that could wipe out Earth?

The cosmos is a place full of unknowns that are still waiting to be answered. among so many, the erratic behavior of space rocks is found. Based on Therefore, the latent fear of the impact of a potentially dangerous asteroid is increasingly high. Although there is currently no confirmed risk, it is still a concern.

Institutions such as NASA have been in charge of revealing those giant rocks or asteroids, related to the Earth. Astronomers and the entire scientific community belonging to that institution have clarified that the chances of impact are minimal. They are even tiny, but it never hurts to know face to face what is stalking the planet.


You may also be interested in our article: Do you want to learn more about spaceships? Here you will know everything!


The most summarized and understandable definition of a potentially dangerous asteroid is here!

In the universe, it has been concluded that everything is indirectly connected. Every so often astronomical events occur that relate to the planets or the passage of comets throughout the cosmos.

Each anecdote that has occurred in the vast universe has a common aspect that has been studied since ancient times. This quality is nothing more and nothing less than the orbit or trajectory of some space object.

asteroids on earth

Source: Google

On certain occasions, the orbits of different bodies tend to be related, attracting or repelling. As a consequence, collisions, impacts, deviations or other events of interest originate.

Knowing this, a potentially dangerous asteroid is an asteroid, meteor or comet close to Earth. It is considered that way because its orbit intersects with the Earth at a minimum distance, with a certain risk of impact.

It should be noted again that although there are no risks now or in the future of an impact, are objects that should not be lost sight of. Otherwise, the consequences can be devastating or widely counterproductive.

For its part, a potentially dangerous asteroid is also known as an object capable of causing damage. Depending on the size, speed and force of impact, it can go unnoticed or trigger apocalyptic moments.

It is estimated that this type of asteroid collisions of more than 50 meters or more than 1 kilometer away, occur from time to time. In short, they are not isolated events, but more, cyclical. An absolutely clear example of this was the extinction of the dinosaurs millions of years ago.

Potentially dangerous asteroid in 2020. Which one or ones were the most feared during the past year?

It is no secret to anyone that the year 2020 was synonymous with calamity due to different circumstances that occurred. The establishment of the pandemic and the fall of the economy, as well as the collapse of health, put humanity in check.

What's more, earthly problems were nothing compared to those of the cosmos. Over the past year, not just one potentially dangerous asteroid in 2020 caused fear, but several of them.

A potentially dangerous asteroid in 2020 would have been the icing on the cake. However, they passed unnoticed without causing anything more than a small scare. Even some of them were not even so recognized.

Still, for the scientific community, the months of July and November were of high tension. Precisely during those stages of the calendar, the most forceful rocky objects near the Earth of the year were sighted.

Without a doubt, any miscalculation would have been a catastrophe. Nonetheless, they passed quickly without leaving any devastation in their wake. Because they caused such a stir among astronomers, it is worth knowing what these asteroids were.

The imposing asteroid 2020ND

On July 24 of last year 2020, meant a date of high uncertainty. La NASA He had sighted a potentially dangerous asteroid of more than 150 meters in diameter getting closer and closer.

Traveling at a speed of more than 48 thousand miles per hour, back then it symbolized a real threat. However, the risk of collision was known to be minimal, so the asteroid ended up advancing more than 5 million km from the planet.

The peculiar Apollo asteroids

In November last year, two Apollo asteroids were destined to happen on the same day. Specifically, on November 26, 2020, both Apollo 2020 WPI and Apollo 2020 UR6 would pass by at roughly the same time.

According to the data released by NASA, the Apollo 2020 WPI asteroid was the more worrying of the two. With a wingspan of between 300 and 560 meters in diameter, it would travel more than 8 million km at a speed of 23 km/s.

On the other hand, the Apollo asteroid 2020 UR6, it had an estimate in size equal to the Empire State. However, compared to his close brother, his walking speed did not exceed 20 thousand km/s.

The giant asteroid Aten

The month of November was the one that hosted the most sightings of potentially dangerous asteroids. In that sense, the Atón 2000 W0107, generated more concern than it should due to its half kilometer in size.

Although it would take place more than 4 million km away from Earth, did not fail to cause a latent concern. At a speed of more than 25 km/s, without a doubt, its impact would have been more than atomic.

NASA warns of a potentially dangerous asteroid! Will 2021 be the same as 2020?

asteroids direct to earth

Source: Google

The news about NASA warning about a potentially dangerous asteroid, It didn't take long to go around the world. The asteroid 2009 JF1, constantly observed by this institution, could impact in May 2022.

If the year 2020 was synonymous with a pandemic, it will be related to astronomical events. In addition to the aforementioned asteroid, in January 2020, a rocky body the size of the Eiffel Tower will arrive.

With more than 250 meters in diameter, NASA warns of a potentially dangerous asteroid named “2016 CO247”. Of the five approaches calculated in the current month of January, the tracking of this asteroid stands out above the rest.

Even so, the concern will only be a matter of a single day, since it does not represent a real impact scenario. However, losing sight of it can cause an event in the future that you do not want to experience.


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