A group of astronomers revealed that there is a space rock measuring 460 feet wide, which will pass by the planet Earth during this week, as scientists called it the Christmas asteroid, confirming that it will reach a distance of 420,000 miles from Earth at its closest point next Thursday, according to reports. British newspaper Daily Mail.
Is the asteroid dangerous to Earth?
Astronomers confirmed that the passage of the rock through the planet Earth will not pose any threat to the planet, as stargazers in the southern hemisphere can get the best view of seeing the asteroid, while people in Europe can see it until December 19th.
She entered history by driving the “NASA” vehicle to Mars.. Who is Farah Ali Bey? (video/photos)
The European Space Agency invited amateur astronomers to find the space rock known as 2015 RN35, as it said in a blog on its website: 2015 RN35 will not shine in the sky like the Star of Bethlehem did thousands of years ago.
Can you see the rock?
And she added: This asteroid is very small on astronomical scales, as flights approach it, at a distance of just under twice the distance from the Moon, noting that telescopes 11 inches (30 cm) and larger are expected to be able to detect the Christmas asteroid.
According to the newspaper, the asteroid is particularly interesting to scientists because it is not well known, as experts do not know what it is made of, its exact size, or whether it revolves around its axis, nor do they know its orbit particularly well, although they confirmed that it At least it won’t hit Earth in the next century.
A picture of a Turkish lake wins first place in the “NASA” competition
Experts believe there are several hundred thousand asteroids that might seriously damage a local area if they hit Earth, and it also allows people to visualize the space rock’s orbit and flyby on December 15, including when it will be visible from various locations on Earth.
Observers using the NEO instrument cluster can learn more regarding the group of asteroids to which the Apollo belongs, while planning how and where to find them depending on exactly where they are in the world.
Juan Luis Cano, director of information systems at the center, said: We use these tools every day to plan our observations, to visualize the approach of nearby asteroids, and to help us understand and explain the various asteroid groups in the solar system and the risks we face.
While Richard Moesel, Head of Planetary Defense at the European Space Agency, emphasized: This is the kind of work that ESA’s NEOCC does every day, often with fainter asteroids using larger telescopes, such as the Observatory’s Very Large Telescope. Southern European.
