Astronomers at The Virtual Telescope Project have captured incredible footage and images of asteroid 2024 BJ as it made a close encounter with Earth on Saturday .
The asteroid whir past the Earth , making its close approach of 353,000 kilometers ( 220,000 mile ) , just10 days after its find . At its faithful approaching , the asteroid was around 92 per centum of the average space between the Earth and the Moon . As well as the distance require , the Earth was not at huge risk from the target , which is around five giraffes all-inclusive . If that figure does n’t make sense to you , IFLScience staff memberEleanor Higgscalculates that that ’s between 16 and 17 Ariana Grandes .
TheVirtual Telescope Projectfollowed the asteroid as it made its near approach , live - cyclosis it as well as photographing the object .
If you ’re here because of the queer name , first we must felicitate you on wrick 13 years old , but here is the resolution you ’re bet for . The rock was one of the156 asteroidsthat have been key by a sky survey in January 2024 , hence the " 2024 " part of its name . The rest of the asteroid ’s name also gives clew as to when exactly it was chance on .
" The provisional appellative includes the year of its find followed by two letter of the alphabet that give the club of its discovery during that year , " the European Space Agency ( ESA)explains . " Objects , unwrap between 1 and 15 January , are designated in ordering of their discovery , AA , AB , AC , and so on . Those see between 16 and 31 January are yield the letters BA , BB , BC , and so on . "
Being the 10th discover asteroid after January 16 , it earned the slightly unfortunate name 2024 BJ .
The name is n’t permanent , however . Were later observations to show it is not 2024 BJ after all ( for example ) but another asteroid which has already been recognize before , the asteroid would be rename for what it really is . If the asteroid is new , eventually it will be given a lasting name .
" The uranologist who first provides enough watching to calculate the domain with precision , has the perquisite of take the name because they are the artificer , " the ESA added .
For now , however , we trust you like the livestream of 2024 BJ .
