Here’s a glimpse of the first images astronomers have been able to get from an asteroid that will miss our planet by the narrow margin of 334,000 miles (537,500 kilometers), at 3:33PM ET time today (JAN. 29). That is like a hairs-breath in space measurments, just a tad more distant than our Moon is from us [239,228 miles (385,000 kilometers)]. It is hoped that as the asteroid gets closer to Earth, better high resolution images can be acquired.
The lopsided rock, christened 2007 TU24, is racing through space and measures a good 610 meters (2,000 feet) across with a diameter of 250 meters. If a space rock of that size were to hit the Earth the damage would be devastating. The amount of destruction would depend if it hit land or ocean, but regardless of impact location, loss of human, animal and plant life on a grand scale would take place, particulary if it impacted a big population area.
However, NASA gives assurances that an Earth impact will not occur, now, or in the foreseeable future unless, of course, one takes into account the number of undocumented asteroids and comets in our solar system.
[Images courtesy of the Goldstone Solar System Radar Telescope in California]
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