Today, June 20, an asteroid with the identification Asteroid 2023 LT1 is travelling in the direction of Earth. The asteroid was discovered by NASA’s Defence Coordination Office (PDCO), which is in charge of keeping an eye on numerous Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) and monitoring the sky. The asteroid, which is comparable in size to a small home and has a width of about 49 feet, will pass alarmingly near to Earth today, June 20.
The asteroid 2023 LT1 will only be 686,000 kilometres away from the globe when it makes its closest approach! Additionally, NASA has found that it is moving quickly—at a speed of 36980 kilometres per hour. It is a member of the Apollo group of asteroids, which are space rocks that travel near Earth and have semi-major axes that are bigger than Earth’s. They have the name of the enormous 1862 Apollo asteroid, which was found in the 1930s by German astronomer Karl Reinmuth.
How is this asteroid being tracked by NASA?
NASA uses a combination of ground- and space-based observatories to monitor asteroids. While some space-based observatories employ infrared sensors to identify asteroids and their properties, the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS), which is supported by NASA, searches the night sky for moving objects and reports any prospective asteroid detections. The Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) and the NEOWISE mission are a couple of them.
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Thousands of people were hurt when the 59-foot-wide asteroid that was above the city of Chelyabinsk detonated. The Chelyabinsk incident was a wake-up call in addition to costing millions of dollars in damages. Over 1000 individuals were hurt, and 8000 structures were damaged, according to sources.
This episode served as a turning point in human history as it allowed them to comprehend the dreadful menace hovering over them. It demonstrated the necessity for improved asteroids and other celestial object research and tracking, and it prompted the establishment of several organisations that keep an eye on Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) for prospective impacts.
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