Asteroid nearing Earth this November ‘poses no threat,’ says NASA
INQURIER.net stock photo
NASA assured that an asteroid which is set to head toward Earth in November “poses no threat” to the planet.
Scientists expect the space object, dubbed as Asteroid 2018VP1, to approach the planet on Nov. 2, as per the agency’s Center for Near Objects Studies.
It was first identified by researchers from the Palomar Observatory in California, United States in 2018, the New York Post reported on Aug. 22.
Following reports of the said rocky object, NASA’s Asteroid Watch stated that it will likely not make contact with the planet.
“Asteroid 2018VP1 is very small, approx. 6.5 feet, and poses no threat to Earth!” the group stated on Twitter earlier today, Aug. 24.
Asteroid 2018VP1 is very small, approx. 6.5 feet, and poses no threat to Earth! It currently has a 0.41% chance of entering our planet’s atmosphere, but if it did, it would disintegrate due to its extremely small size.
— NASA Asteroid Watch (@AsteroidWatch) August 23, 2020
It also only has a 0.41% chance of entering the planet’s atmosphere. However, if it manages to reach the atmosphere, the group noted that the asteroid would disintegrate due to its small size.
Meanwhile, an asteroid the size of an SUV passed 1,830 miles (2,950 kilometers) above Earth last week. It is known to be the closest asteroid ever observed to have flown by the planet. Ryan Arcadio/JB
RELATED STORIES:
NASA launches website with at-home activities amid quarantine
Newly-discovered exoplanet may be able to support life, astronomers say
