NASA Monitors Speeding Asteroid Heading Towards Earth at 24548 kmph
Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly advancing and impacting various industries. In a recent achievement, AI played a crucial role in India’s successful landing on the lunar South Pole, making it the first country to achieve this feat. Additionally, astronomers are utilizing algorithms for asteroid detection. A study from the University of Washington reveals that an algorithm called HelioLinc3D aided in the identification of a potentially hazardous asteroid. This algorithm, tested in Hawaii, led to the discovery of asteroid 2022 SF289, which measures nearly 600 feet wide. However, experts have determined that this asteroid does not pose a threat in the foreseeable future.
Using its advanced technology, NASA has also revealed details about a new asteroid that is coming towards Earth soon. Here’s what we know about it.
Asteroid 2023 QK5: Details
The asteroid, named Asteroid 2023 QK5, is heading towards Earth and could make its closest approach to the planet tomorrow, August 29. According to data released by NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS), asteroid 2023 QK5 is expected to make its closest approach to the planet at a distance of only 1.5 million kilometers and at a speed of 24548 kilometers per hour, almost the speed of the space shuttle!
It belongs to Apollo’s group of Near-Earth Asteroids, which are Earth-passing space rocks with semi-major axes larger than Earth’s. These asteroids are named after the huge 1862 Apollo asteroid discovered by German astronomer Karl Reinmuth in the 1930s.
Due to its small size, asteroid 2023 QK5 is not classified as a potentially hazardous object. At about 37 feet wide, this space rock can be compared to a bus. According to NASA, only asteroids larger than 492 feet are considered potentially hazardous. However, it is important to note that even such small asteroids can cause damage if they hit the surface. That’s demonstrated by the Chelyabinsk meteor, which was only 59 feet wide but destroyed more than 7,000 buildings and injured 1,200 people when it exploded over the Russian city in 2013.
Asteroid hunting with an algorithm
According to the study, the algorithm used to find asteroid 2022 SF289 is used by a research telescope known as the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile. The HelioLinc3D algorithm uses the Rubin dataset to find and track asteroids. The survey telescope, formerly known as the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, will be used to study and uncover the secrets of the Milky Way galaxy’s dark matter when it becomes operational in 2025. It is also expected to contribute to the discovery of potentially dangerous asteroids. .
