Will an asteroid strike Earth’s orbit?

According to the Daily Star, NASA is keeping an eye on an asteroid that is only days away from colliding with Earth and is a kilometer wide. 

Next week, the space rock, which is categorized as a near-Earth object, may collide with Earth’s orbit.

The asteroid known as 199145 (2005 YY128) is so large that its width ranges from 1,870 to 4,265 feet. It will be 2.8 million miles from Earth when it is closest to it.

NASA is reportedly not confident if it will actually crash into the Earth’s orbit and if it will cause damage in case it does.

Because NASA has not provided any warning days before the large asteroid’s anticipated approach, it is conceivable that it will not get near enough to cause an impact. Every year, a huge number of asteroids come quite near to Earth.

Five asteroids came quite near to our globe only last week. 2023 BP5, 2023 BH6, 2023 BY4, 2017 DU34, and 2023 BB8 on February 2. The biggest one is comparable to an airliner in size. 40-meter-wide 2023 BY4 was 3.06 million miles away when it made its closest pᴀss. 2023 BB8 was just 85 feet broad, making it smaller than 2023 BY4 despite being an asteroid the size of an airliner. At 3.72 million kilometers, it came the closest to our planet.

It seems that the asteroids that pᴀssed by the globe last week were much smaller than the space rock that is on their way and will be closer to Earth.

According to reports, NASA has not yet offered a response.

What Would NASA Do if a dreadful asteroid struck the planet?

Lindley Johnson, NASA’s Planetary Defense Officer, talked with Mashable about what the organization would do if a large space rock were to approach Earth and posed a serious danger.

Johnson claims that NASA will send alerts. They will alert you of a very near contact and a probable collision, respectively.

The asteroid will not hit Earth as a result of the near contact, but the agency feels that the public should be made aware of it. It might be a large asteroid like the 1,100-foot-wide Apophis or a little space rock measuring 30 feet.

Some people who see the near encounter can post it on social media or write news articles about it. NASA will examine the findings carefully.

If NASA discovers a probable impact from asteroids greater than 30 feet, things get very serious. NASA will get a warning message from Johnson’s office to send to the White House, Congress, and other government organizations.

Additionally, the CIA will give the White House the go-ahead to divulge any fresh facts on the space rock. If there is a potential effect on U.S. soil, he said, it would consтιтute a national emergency event, and FEMA (Foreign Exchange Management Act) would have to prepare for a catastrophe.

He claims that a variety of variables are at play, including the space rock’s size and composition. There is a chance that it will explode either closer to the ground or in the Earth’s atmosphere. NASA can provide leadership advice on potential outcomes if the asteroid hits the globe.

Reference(s): NASA

DailyStar