Astronomers were alerted regarding an asteroid that was heading toward Earth. It was already nearby as it appeared on the planet's blindspot, giving the researchers limited time to act. The good thing is that it is only a flyby, with asteroid "2019 OK" only passing through the Earth's course and not hitting the planet.
This close interaction gave researchers a lot to study, and Arecibo Observatory gave them the needed information.
Asteroid 2019 OK: Flyby on Earth's Blindspot Surprised Astronomers
Research published last June 10 entitled "Radar and Optical Characterization of Near-Earth Asteroid 2019 OK" talked about an asteroid that did a flyby on the Earth and was close to the planet. There were initial fears that it was heading towards the world, as the alert came late when it passed by the Earth's blind spot.
Luisa Fernanda Zambrano-Marin and the team at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico were surprised with the 2019 OK's arrival, as it is one that researchers did not expect. The good thing is that the Arecibo Observatory accommodated their needs to look into the near-Earth object and study the asteroid that led to discoveries.
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What Did They Discover on the Close Asteroid Flyby?
According to Phys.org, the Asteroid 2019 OK first appeared on the astronomers' radar last July 25, 2019, and it has become a massive focus since then. Zambrano-Marin and the team discovered that the asteroid is .04 and .08 miles in diameter. It has a fast movement and rotates every 3 to 5 minutes.
The researchers think fast-rotating asteroids need more attention to avoid further dangers and gather more intel about them. The Asteroid 2019 OK is a C-class composed of silicate and nickel-iron.
Asteroids and Near-Earth Objects
Asteroids also appear on the blind spots of the planet, and there are a lot, as this is a giant spherical rock in space, and not all of its 360° shape is covered by cameras or telescopes. However, instead of making this a threat or hindrance to space studies, researchers used these "hidden asteroid" data to help them predict different rocks coming for a flyby.
Students and researchers that focus on astronomy join together in looking for clues and study the phenomena that are happening in the industry now, especially as it is something worth looking into. Different rare asteroids are now the center of research, and it brings a massive case for future flybys that agencies may now anticipate.
Research from the team that worked on this immediate flyby of Asteroid 2019 OK was not expected, and the alert gave them a surprise from the space rock. Nevertheless, the researchers did not let this hinder them from gathering information on the asteroid, resulting in astounding discoveries on the space object.
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Written by Isaiah Richard
