The “potentially dangerous” asteroid, which is twice as high as the Empire State Building, will meet near Earth next January — following which it will not make its next visit for the next 200 years.
(7482) 1994 Our planet is expected to explode the space rock, known as PC1, on 2022/” title=”The most important astronomical phenomena and events for the month of January 2022″>January 18 at a distance of 0.013 AU “close proximity”. Newsweek reported, Quoted from NASA’s Near-Earth Object Exploration Center.
But that translates to a much more comfortable distance of 1.2 million miles, which Mag says is five times farther from the moon.
The asteroid is 3,280 feet in diameter, and doesn’t slouch — regarding two and a half times the height of the famous Big Apple skyscraper.
One asteroid hits Earth every 600,000 years. According to EarthSky.
It will swell at regarding 44,000 miles per hour before moving to another solar orbit, the space agency said, and won’t return until 2105.
The large body was discovered on August 9, 1994 – hence the name – by Robert McNutt, Earthsky at Siding Spring Laboratory in Australia.
Astronomers discovered the asteroid in pre-September 1974 images.
Amateur astronomers will be able to see 1994 PC1 on January 18 at 4:50 PM EDT (7482). In the evening it appears as a point of light running in front of the background stars.
The rock will shine at 10 degrees – a decent target for visitors with a 6-inch or larger telescope.
Asteroid 7482 (1994 PC1): A Safe but Infrequent Visitor to Our Cosmic Neighborhood
As a blog news writer, I came across a recent article discussing the asteroid 7482 (1994 PC1). While initially thought to be a potentially hazardous asteroid, recent discoveries have alleviated concerns about this massive space rock. The asteroid’s close approach to Earth on January 18 has sparked interest, leading me to analyze the situation in depth.
The Asteroid’s Size and Speed
According to reports, the asteroid 7482 (1994 PC1) measures approximately 3400 feet in diameter, roughly twice the height of the iconic Empire State Building [[1]]. Although enormous, the asteroid’s impact on Earth is unlikely. As discovered in May 2023, scientists assert that we are probably safe from asteroids for the next 1000 years, with the 7482 (1994 PC1) having the largest estimated probability of a deep close encounter [[1]]. Thankfully, this does not mean an inevitable collision, but rather another harmless encounter.
Close Encounter with Earth
A whopping six times more massive than the Burj Khalifa, this enormous asteroid whizzed by our planet on January 18, 2022. Traveling at an immense speed, the asteroid narrowly evaded our planet at a distance of approximately 4.6 million miles (7.5 million kilometers) or about 0.013 AU from Earth [[2]]. Although categorized as a potentially hazardous asteroid (PHA) due to its enormous size, experts confirmed it would safely make a flyby.
Orbiting Cycle and Next Encounter
If you’re curious about the next encounter with 7482 (1994 PC1), you’ll be relieved to know that we have nearly two centuries before this asteroid makes its next close pass. Statistics show that 7482 (1994 PC1) completes its orbit around the Sun in an impressive 575 days [[3]]. Although the world has narrowly evaded this enormous space rock for now, understanding its orbit will undoubtedly assist astronomers and astrophysicists in predicting future close encounters.
Conclusion
As we acknowledged the anticipated meeting between 7482 (1994 PC1) and Earth, curiosity sparked, accompanied by apprehensions about possible risks. It’s heartening that numerous scientific analyses brought a sigh of relief, disclosing a safe flyby of this colossal asteroid in January. Ensuring you are well-informed regarding imminent cosmic events allows us to both stay vigilant and peacefully coexist with our vast universe.
References:
[[1]]https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamiecartereurope/2023/05/27/we-are-probably-safe-from-asteroids-for-1000-years-say-scientists/
[[2]]https://www.space.com/mile-wide-asteroid-safe-flyby
[[3]]https://www.star-gazing.co.uk/WebPage/7482-20220113/
