• Health
  • Science
  • U.S.
  • Technology
  • Business
  • World
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • Sports

Building a Better World

News and information

  • Home
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us
  • Our Team

Close encounter: Asteroid spotted close to Earth

September 8, 2016 By Jenny Marchal

Close encounter: Asteroid spotted close to Earth

It is thought to be part of the Asten group of asteroids found flying around Earth, Venus and Mercury.

A small asteroid was located close to the Earth’s atmosphere passing a mere 23,900 miles from our planet according to NASA’s Near-Earth Object (NEO) program.

The asteroid named 2016 RB1, and measuring somewhere between 4 and 14 meters, was detected through the Mt. Lemmon Survey’s 60-inch Cassegian Telescope at the University of Arizona in the early hours of Monday Sept. 5 and was spotted flying over the south pole of Earth.

It flew so close, in fact, that it almost came into contact with Earth’s satellites but luckily there were no collisions while it moved at a speed of nearly 18,000 mph. After it’s path towards Earth, the 2016 RB1 turned and made it’s way in the direction of the moon.

The wayward rock is thought to be part of the Asten group of asteroids that move around the inner solar system in the vicinity of Venus and Mercury as well as planet Earth. But there’s no need to panic – scientists say it’s the closest the asteroid will come to Earth for the next 50 years at least. A much larger asteroid, 2016 QA2, was spotted earlier this year coming close to 50,000 miles from Earth but the chances of an asteroid making impact is extremely low.

For more information on current asteroid tracking you can visit NASA’s NEO program website.

 

 

Sharing

Facebooktwittergoogle_plusredditpinterestlinkedintumblrmail

Filed Under: Front Page, Science

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Follow Us

Facebookrss

Search:

Recent Posts

  • NASA’s InSight spacecraft makes important course correction May 26, 2018
  • Scientists outraged at latest Trump decision May 15, 2018
  • Huge uproar erupts over major incident at Utah park May 13, 2018
  • Incredible moon discovery stuns scientists May 12, 2018
  • Authorities shocked by discovery about common painkiller May 6, 2018
  • Outrageous crocodile experiment stuns scientists May 5, 2018
  • Great Barrier Reef is too quiet, scientists say May 1, 2018
  • Massive Hiroshima bomb discovery shocks scientists May 1, 2018
  • Earth will be slammed by massive asteroid April 29, 2018
  • Teens are doing something incredibly alarming in schools April 29, 2018
  • Huge discovery in Tasmania stuns scientists April 28, 2018
  • Shocking discovery in New Jersey stuns authorities April 22, 2018
  • Huge volcanic explosion could wipe out the United States April 21, 2018
  • Huge controversy erupts over world’s hottest pepper April 15, 2018
  • SpaceX is about to do something astonishing April 15, 2018

Copyright © 2019 Jones Kilmartin Group, LLC · Metro Pro Theme On Genesis Framework · WordPress