National Aeronautics and Space Administration or NASA has recently added another possible space rock or asteroid that will hit Earth this week. The asteroid is officially named as '2020 FN' space rock that measures 59 feet in size, which means that it is bigger than a 48 feet semitrailer truck. Here's what you need to know.
NASA finds another possible Earth-Crashing Asteroid!
As based on the agency's asteroid tracking system, the 2020 FN or also called 'Apollo Asteroid,' is just one out of tons of detected asteroid that might hit planet Earth in the coming weeks.
Compared to the recent NASA asteroid findings that Tech Times reported on Wed. Mar. 18, the 2020 FN is much smaller as compared to 2020 EF with the size of 98 feet in diameter while 2020 DP4 that has a size of 180 feet-- that was first detected by the agency to hit Earth.
Read Also : Watch Stunning Video of Asteroid That Nearly Misses Earth: NASA Warns We Might Only Have 120 Years Left!
Thankfully, this collision of both first bigger asteroids did not happen on Wednesday since both space rocks were still too small to enter the Earth's atmosphere. Unfortunately, though, their smaller cousin 2020 FN has the higher possibility to enter the Earth's atmosphere until Thursday, Mar. 19.
After studying the asteroid's trajectory towards the planet that has average speed of over 15,000 miles per hour, the agency concluded that the Apollo asteroid follows an elongated orbit that reaches the area between Jupiter and Mars. Occasionally, the asteroid's orbit crosses the path of Earth as it travels around the Sun.
Since the position of the space rock is closer compared to both the first bigger asteroids, NASA tracking system said that it would likely collide with Earth.
No need to panic: Apollo Asteroid collision won't harm anyone
As clarified by NASA, the approaching Apollo asteroid would likely be another small asteroid hitting in the clouds. Since it is too small, the asteroid would just likely disappear in the Earth's atmosphere. However, NASA said that it could still cause an 'airblast' on the ground once it occurs
Just like what happened in 2013 over Russia's Chelyabinsk wherein a powerful mid-air explosion happened as seen by the residents. Back then, the asteroid had a bigger size of 66-foot-wide and an impact velocity of about 40,000 miles per hour that collided with Earth. It detonated a city that caused damage to over 7,000 buildings on the ground, and over 1,500 people were also injured because of the explosion.
If you think whether these asteroids may really affect Earth, the 1908 Tunguska event just proved all your doubts. This event is the reportedly most powerful air burst that happened in history. The extremely bright fireballs that were traveling all across the sky were visible from a distance back then. Both of these air bursts happened in Russia.
