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An asteroid the size of Mole di Torino will approach Earth on April 1st (and it's no joke)

An asteroid the size of Mole di Torino will approach Earth on April 1st (and it’s no joke)

This evening, the large asteroid 2007 FF1 will fly through Earth at a speed of 46,000 kilometers per hour.

It’s 23:35 this evening asteroid size Mole Antoniliana It’ll make a pass nearby (from an astronomical point of view) but it’s perfectly safe on Earth. The “space stone‘, named 2007 FF1is a class asteroid Apollo It is part of what is called NEOabbreviation for near planet earththat’s all those celestial bodies – including comets – that have an extensionorbiting And it is very close or less dangerous to our planet. Fortunately tonight there is no danger of impact, as the 2007 FF1 will go through a little more 7.4 million km, about 16 times the average distance from the Moon. Right now, it’s hurtling through space at an amazing speed of 12.83 kilometers per second, or more 46 thousand kilometers per hour.

Astronomers discovered the asteroid in 2007 thanks to Catalina Sky Survey (CSS), a project coordinated by the University of Arizona’s Lunar and Planetary Laboratory with the goal of searching for potentially dangerous objects. The system is based on three distinct instruments: a 1.5-meter telescope on Mount Lemon; 68 cm telescope on Mount Bigelow; and one 0.5 meters long at Siding Spring Observatory. Although it has been known for 15 years, information about the 2007 FF1 is still very limited. Its diameter, for example, is thought to be understandable Between 120 and 260 metersAs described on the site,Near-Earth Curriculum Near-EarthFrom NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Thus, the average dimensions are slightly higher than those of Mole Antonelliana, which stands out in the heart of Turin. Observations this evening could help scientists better determine the diameter and other properties.

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If such an object hit the ground, it would cause catastrophic damage local levelof sufficient size and energy for shoveling athe whole city and surrounding areas. In the event of an impact on for freeInstead, you will raise one tsunami devastating proportions. Fortunately, this is not something that is capable of triggering events mass extinction Like theAsteroid Chixulubwhich led to the disappearance of Dinosaurs Not Birds and many other animal and plant species 66 million years ago, at the end of the Cretaceous period (its diameter was estimated to be 10-14 kilometers).

Also in the near future, 2007 FF1 will not be a problem, because according to expert calculations, at least for the next 120 years, a close flyby is not expected. Having passed a little farther than it is today in the year 2037, even March 2144 The asteroid – which has an orbital period of 1.9 years – will pass at a speed of at least 17 million km from Earth. Therefore, at the moment, the space stone is completely safe, but in the distant future its orbit could radically change. For this reason, scientists will always monitor it along with other potentially dangerous objects.