A massive asteroid, approximately twice the size of a Boeing 747, is hurtling towards Earth, prompting concern and calls to action from space agencies. Dubbed “2016 NF23,” the asteroid is expected to pass perilously close to Earth, at a distance of just under 5 million kilometers, or roughly 13 times the distance between Earth and the Moon, on August 29th.
Asteroid
While the distance between Earth and the asteroid may seem vast to our perception of measurement, the concern is that many asteroids have been known to change course erratically, and this could potentially be one of them, posing a threat to our planet. The asteroid, which travels at a speed of over 32,000 kilometers per hour, is considered a “potentially dangerous” object by NASA due to its proximity.
The asteroid “2016 NF23” is estimated to have a width of between 70 and 160 meters, larger than the height of the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt, which measures 139 meters. If it were to enter our atmosphere, it would break up into fragments and potentially endanger cities from any part of the planet, causing massive destruction.
According to the British newspaper Daily Mail, NASA tracks this and other near-Earth objects (NEOs) to monitor potential threats from space. This particular space rock is classified within the “Athens” group, named after the asteroid “Atens 1862,” due to its orbit of approach to the Earth and its dimensions.
Experts warn that an asteroid like the 2016 NF23 could cause millions of deaths if it were to hit Earth. Recent studies have found that asteroids can cause much more death and destruction if they hit the ground or explode in the sky, rather than falling into the sea and causing a tsunami.
If the 2016 NF23 were to arrive on Earth, one possible effect could be the “most critical impact effect,” caused by the wind generated by the asteroid. This wind could cause serious traumatic damage to humans and demolish buildings. Additionally, the shockwave resulting from an asteroid exploding in the air or hitting the ground could cause the explosion of internal organs.
An impact with an asteroid would likely cause an earthquake. If the asteroid falls into the ocean, it would inevitably trigger a large tsunami, resulting in thousands or millions of deaths if it occurred near a densely populated coast.
While earthquakes and other natural disasters are currently shaking the Pacific Ring of Fire, if the asteroid NF23 2016 were to impact our planet, these concerns would become trivial. However, NASA remains optimistic that the asteroid will pass close to Earth without causing any danger.
But it neʋer hurts to Ƅe inforмed Ƅy what мay happen since it will not Ƅe the first asteroid that ruƄs the earth and that they haʋe not мiscalculated their direction trajectory or date of approach. Not мany мonths ago the space agency NASA had one of the мost iмportant proƄleмs in its space career, when it lost the ʋision of hundreds of asteroids potentially dangerous for Huмanity. On Wednesday, May 16 of this year, NASA lost the trail of мore than 900 near-Earth asteroids, according to the report, the error occurred in the shipмent for confirмation to a secondary source of new candidates to Ƅe categorised as “Near-Earth asteroids” .
Source: https://www.infinityexplorers.coм/
