There Is A Large Asteroid Approaching Earth During Ramadan

JAKARTA - It is reported that a large asteroid will approach Earth in early May 2020 or to coincide with the holy month of Ramadan 1441 Hijriah. Even though it is large, this celestial body will not endanger the planet Earth we live in.

Launching the LAPAN Space Science Center, this celestial body, named Asteroid 2016 HP6, has an axis diameter of 1.579 SA or 236 million kilometers with an orbital inclination of 0.357. This asteroid has an orbital trajectory period of 724.5 days or 1.98 years.

If the LAPAN calculation is correct, this asteroid will visit Earth on May 8 or around the middle of the upcoming month of Ramadan. Although scary, this asteroid will not be harmful to Earth.

"It is true, but it will not affect the earth at all," said Head of the LAPAN Space Science Center, Clara Yonoyatini, to VOI.

Referring to NASA's Center of Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) data as reported by LAPAN, this asteroid has a relative speed of 5.72 kilometers per second when it approaches Earth. The orbital trajectory of this asteroid can change due to the planet's gravitational pull. Therefore, this celestial body is categorized as the Apollo asteroid.

Could it be dangerous?

The 2016 asteroid HP6 is estimated to have a size between 23 and 52 meters, with a magnitude of +25.3 at a distance of one SA (> Astronomical Units). However, if the orbital trajectory of this celestial body is too close to Earth, it is not impossible that this asteroid could threaten life on this planet.

"It should be seen with a telescope so as not to cause harm," added Clara.

In NASA's Planetary Defense Coordinator Office notes, the asteroid, which was first discovered on April 24, 1932, once approached Earth. Flakes of dust and small chunks of this asteroid material also rained down on the sky, for several days because they were destroyed in the earth's atmosphere.

At least in the records of NASA, that event has not occurred again for the last 20 years. During that time, the radar sensors of the United States government (US) only detected 600 small asteroids that entered the Earth's atmosphere.

The only celestial body that has fallen and hit Earth after prehistoric times is the Chelyabinsk Meteor, in 2013. The celestial body, which is classified as the Apollo asteroid, has a size of 17 meters or the equivalent of a six-story building.

The event that occurred seven years ago is said to have a stronger explosive power than a nuclear explosion. At least 1,200 people were lightly to seriously injured after receiving the shock wave from the asteroid that exploded over the city of Chelyabinsk.

Experts believe, based on the remnants of a meteorite in Chelyabinsk this has hit Earth in at least 100 years. Given the size of the asteroid that fell, there is no further classification regarding celestial objects that might return to planet Earth.