An asteroid that almost a mile wide and that’s traveling at 48,000 mph is about to pass by our planet during this weekend. The interesting thing is that the asteroid is not coming alone because it has its very own moon.
According to the latest reports, the astronomers named the asteroid 1999 KW4.
Potentially hazardous asteroid
The object has been classified as a “potentially hazardous asteroid” by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory’s Minor Planet Center, and scientists say we have nothing to fear in this flyby.
The asteroid will be traveling at about 3.2 million miles from Earth and this is 13 times the distance between our planet and the moon, according to reports coming from CNET.
Since this asteroid is also carrying its very own moon, it’s known in the scientific community as a binary system, says NASA.
You’ll be able to spot the flying celestial object starting May 24 and it will last until May 27.
And just in case you miss the event, you will be able to see it again in 2036 according to the reports.
It’s also interesting to note that the Las Cumbres Observatory describes the main asteroid in the system as “slightly squashed at the poles and with a mountain ridge around the equator, which runs all the way around the asteroid. This ridge gives the primary an appearance similar to a walnut or a spinning top.”
Another asteroid just passed by
It was recently reported that another asteroid which was huge passed by our planet.
The giant asteroid was 1,280 ft in diameter and it has already skimmed past Earth at a speed of 58,000 Mph (approximately 93,000 kilometers per hour).
Asteroid 2019 JB1, as the scientists named it, was what NASA called a “close call” in astronomical terms, of course, as the space rock passed our planet from a distance of 4 million miles.
Rada attended the courses in the Faculty of Letters, Romanian-English section, and finished the Faculty of Theatre and Television, Theatrical Journalism section, both within the framework of Babeş-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca. Up ’til now, she reviewed books, movies, and theatre-plays, enjoying subjects from the cultural niche. Her experience in writing also intersects the IT niche, given the fact that she worked as a content editor for firms that produce software for mobile devices. She is collaborating with online advertising agencies, writing articles for several websites and blogs.