In news
Recently, NASA has cautioned about six asteroids, including two which are as big as the Eiffel Tower to pass near the earth
What are asteroids?
- Asteroids are small, rocky objects that orbit the Sun. Although asteroids orbit the Sun like planets, they are much smaller than planets.
- There are lots of asteroids in our solar system. Most of them live in the main asteroid belt a region between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
Origin of Asteroids
- Asteroids are leftovers from the formation of our solar system about 4.6 billion years ago when a big cloud of gas and dust collapsed.
- After this phenomena, most of the material fell to the center of the cloud and formed the sun.
- Some of the condensing dust in the cloud became planets. The objects in the asteroid belt never had the chance to be incorporated into planets. T
- hey are leftovers from that time long ago when planets formed. As of now the main asteroid belt lies between mars and Jupter.
- Objects in the belt are divided into eight subgroups named after the main asteroids in each group
Key updates on Asteroids that are approaching earth
- 2021 AC: It is the first one of the asteroids. It has already passed the earth just in the beginning of the year. It has an average diameter of 73.5 metres and moved at a speed of 50,652 kmph
- 2016 CO247: It is the second asteroid to pass. It has an average diameter of 340 metres. It went past Earth soon after the 2021 AC at a speed of 60,228 kmph. It was 7.4 million km away from our planet.
- 2021 AJ: It is the smallest of the six asteroids which are not more than 20 metres in diameter will go past the planet in the evening (5 PM IST approx).
- 2018 KP1: Almost two hours later, the 32-metre 2018 KP1 will follow which is can be 41 metres in diameter and will be 3.1 million km away from Earth at a speed of 15,948 kmph.
- 2021 AU: It will be just 1.42 million kms away from Earth. The estimated diameter is around 60 metres
- 2008 AF4: It is the last one and the largest to approach the earth. It will go past Earth around 2:30 AM on January 7.
- It is nearly 500 metres in diameter and if it was to hit Earth, its impact would be the equivalent of the largest nuclear bombs(but is 15 million km away from Earth).
- It is travelling at a speed of 39,654 kmph.
Source: NASA & The Indian Express
