The closest asteroid yet to cypher past Earth occurred last weekend . The disk - breaking flyby control the space boulder pass just 2,950 kilometers ( 1,830 mile ) above the surface of the Southern Indian Ocean .
The object , called 2020 QG , was between 3 and 6 measure ( 10 to 20 feet ) wide . It was mention by the Zwicky Transient Facility on August 16 at 12:08am EDT . By asteroid standards , 2020 QG is small but not uncommon . Some research worker approximate there are hundreds of millions of these rocks in the solar organization whose orbit accept them close to our planet . They are classified as near - Earth object , and while some are dangerous , the 1 the sizing of 2020QG will likely burn up in Earth ’s atmosphere .
" It ’s really cool to see a diminished asteroid come by this closing curtain , because we can see the Earth ’s gravity dramatically bend its trajectory , " Paul Chodas , director of the Center for Near - Earth Object Studies ( CNEOS ) at NASA ’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory , said in astatement . " Our calculations show that this asteroid got turned by 45 degrees or so as it swung by our planet . "
Asteroids the size of 2020 QG seldom get this secretive to our major planet . ease up their relatively small size , it ’s hard to spy them with current instrument . Asteroid 020 QG was unwrap six hours after its closest passageway .
" It ’s quite an accomplishment to find these tiny close - in asteroid in the first place , because they fall by so tight , " Chodas say . " There ’s typically only a unforesightful windowpane of a couple of Clarence Shepard Day Jr. before or after close coming when this small of an asteroid is closemouthed enough to Earth to be bright enough but not so confining that it displace too tight in the sky to be detected by a scope . "
Since 2005 , NASA has made it its goal to characterize 95 percent of all the asteroid and comet that pose a threat to Earth , mainly those declamatory than 140 metre ( 460 feet ) wide . One of NASA ’s lookout station , NEOWISE , has estimated the possibleness ofup to 6,200 objectslarger than 100 meters ( 330 ft ) . Of those , over 2,000are known .
All near - Earth asteroid that could induce an “ experimental extinction - level effect ” are believed to be know , but those that are magnanimous enough to not burn completely in the standard atmosphere could cause widespread damage . Researchers say we are stillwoefully unpreparedwhen it comes to life-threatening cosmic object and more investing in asteroid observations is necessary .
