A Near Earth Asteroid (NEA) is all set to make a close encounter with Earth on September 1 at 12:06 Universal Time (UT)/ 8:06 AM Eastern Daylight Saving Time (EDT). The news gave birth to several conspiracies that asteroid might collide with our planet and cause doom. However, there’s nothing to worry as asteroid will fly past Earth at a safe distance.
The asteroid named 3122 Florence that measures 4.4 kilometers in diameter will cross Earth at a distance of 7 million kilometer that is nearly 18 times the distance between our moon and Earth. The asteroid is fairly large in size when compared to other asteroids that make a close encounter with Earth every other week; which is why scientists and astronomers are excited to observe and study the celestial object. The last large asteroid with a similar close approach was 4179 Toutatis, which passed just under four lunar distances (a little under a million miles) from the Earth on September 29th, 2004.
Renowned asteroid hunter Schelte J. Bus had discovered the asteroid 3122 Florence (1981 ET3) with the help of Sliding Spring Observatory in Australia back on March 2nd, 1981. According to the NASA scientists, the asteroid is tilted at an angle of 22 degrees and completes one revolution around the Sun in 859 days. For space enthusiasts, those who want to track down the asteroid can spot 3122 Florence 45 degrees above the southern horizon around local midnight for observers based along 30 degrees north latitude.
However, the asteroid will make the closest encounter with Earth on Friday night and people near the Pacific Rim, including Australia, New Zealand, and surrounding regions will have the best viewing experience.
The US space agency NASA is tracking every movement of 3122 Florence under its NEOWISE mission. NEOWISE is the asteroid-and-comet-hunting portion of the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) mission. After discovering more than 34,000 asteroids during its original mission, NEOWISE was brought out of hibernation in December of 2013 to find and learn more about asteroids and comets that could pose an impact hazard to Earth.
The asteroid named 3122 Florence that measures 4.4 kilometers in diameter will cross Earth at a distance of 7 million kilometer that is nearly 18 times the distance between our moon and Earth. The asteroid is fairly large in size when compared to other asteroids that make a close encounter with Earth every other week; which is why scientists and astronomers are excited to observe and study the celestial object. The last large asteroid with a similar close approach was 4179 Toutatis, which passed just under four lunar distances (a little under a million miles) from the Earth on September 29th, 2004.
Renowned asteroid hunter Schelte J. Bus had discovered the asteroid 3122 Florence (1981 ET3) with the help of Sliding Spring Observatory in Australia back on March 2nd, 1981. According to the NASA scientists, the asteroid is tilted at an angle of 22 degrees and completes one revolution around the Sun in 859 days. For space enthusiasts, those who want to track down the asteroid can spot 3122 Florence 45 degrees above the southern horizon around local midnight for observers based along 30 degrees north latitude.
However, the asteroid will make the closest encounter with Earth on Friday night and people near the Pacific Rim, including Australia, New Zealand, and surrounding regions will have the best viewing experience.
The US space agency NASA is tracking every movement of 3122 Florence under its NEOWISE mission. NEOWISE is the asteroid-and-comet-hunting portion of the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) mission. After discovering more than 34,000 asteroids during its original mission, NEOWISE was brought out of hibernation in December of 2013 to find and learn more about asteroids and comets that could pose an impact hazard to Earth.