This week, an asteroid large enough to cause damage to Earth will pass through an unusual orbit that will bring it closer to Earth than the moon. Fortunately, the asteroid will pass close to Earth and continue on a harmless trajectory.
But in the process, it became bright enough to be seen with binoculars, which is unusual for a near-Earth object and one of the most luminous such events in recent history. Most asteroids that pass closer than the moon are so small that they can only be seen with powerful telescopes or astronomical observations, and if they hit Earth (which they sometimes do), they would burn up completely in the atmosphere.
This space rock Asteroid 2024 MK It was discovered by the International Astronomical Union’s Minor Planet Center and is estimated to have a diameter of between 130 and 280 meters (427 to 919 feet). European Space Agency It was discovered by the European Space Agency (ESA) on June 16th and officially announced on June 19th.
The closest approach will be on June 29th, when the Moon will be 184,000 miles away. For comparison, the Moon is about 239,000 miles away from Earth on average.
According to the ESA, MK 2024 will reach a peak brightness of magnitude 8.5, Large Magellanic Cloud For experienced skywatchers, using amateur telescopes, the asteroid should be visible from the Southern Hemisphere as it approaches Earth, and will be easier to see from Earth’s Northern Hemisphere after it reaches its closest approach as it starts to move away from Earth on Saturday.
Although astronomers have declared a collision unlikely, on a cosmic scale, the chances of an impact of this size are actually quite low. Consider that the fireball that exploded over Russia in 2013, blowing out thousands of windows, was less than one-tenth the size of 2024 MK. The size of this asteroid puts it in the colloquial (and somewhat ominous) category of “city destroyer.” In other words, if this chunk of space debris were to hit a major metropolitan area, it would be catastrophic.
But then again, in this case, you don’t really have to worry: if you want to find the asteroid yourself with a backyard telescope or binoculars, you can use tracking tools like these: Sky Live2024 MK’s current location is in the constellation Centaurus. If you can’t find it yourself or don’t have the equipment, Virtual Telescope Project As the date gets closer, we will be hosting online viewing parties that you can join.