Asteroid 2001 LD to Fly By Earth at High Speed Today
Cosmic enthusiasts are in for an extraordinary Sunday as Asteroid 2001 LD, a member of the Apollo group, is set to have a very close encounter with Earth. This massive celestial object, which is estimated to be as large as a football stadium at 474 meters, will pass by our planet at an incredible speed of 18952 km/s, according to spacereference.org. The velocity at which 2001 LD is travelling is astounding, especially given its enormous size.
At closest, our planet and 2001 LD are separated by only 8.84 million kilometers.
Asteroid 2001 LD’s journey is a remarkable achievement in itself. It follows a cycle of 618 days and takes a scenic route around the sun. It reaches a maximum distance of 292 million kilometers before turning back to approach only 133 million kilometers.
Save the date: June 3, 2084!
This celestial neighbor is scheduled for its next big visit on June 3, 2084. And this time it will pass at a distance of 17.02 million kilometers.
