Big Asteroid 2001FO32 Will Pass This Week

Illustration of a large asteroid going through the Earth (India Times)

JAKARTA - Astronomers around the world are observing the sky this week. They are monitoring the largest asteroid that will cross Earth during 2021, predicted to pass in the closest distance to Earth.

The asteroid, known as 2001FO32, is a large and fast asteroid. Discovered in 2001, the asteroid 2001FO32 is classified into the "potentially dangerous asteroid" category for planet Earth.

Cited from Slashgear, although it will pass close by, on a cosmic scale the trajectory is quite far. The asteroid will pass a distance of 1.25 million miles from Earth. To illustrate, to cover that distance on planet Earth, you would have to circle the world 50 times.

Paul Chodas of the United States astronomical agency, NASA said that there is no way the asteroid will approach Earth from a distance of 1.25 million miles. In that distance, the inhabitants of Earth do not have to worry about colliding with this planet.

The 2001FO32 asteroid is between 1300 and 2230 feet wide. Whereas previously, when scientists discovered the asteroid, they estimated that the celestial body was about 3000 feet wide.

NASA will emit radar signals from the asteroid using antennas from the Deep Space Network to understand its size and rotation. The US space agency will also observe the asteroid's surface and see whether the space object has a satellite or not.

This asteroid will travel at a speed of about 77.000 miles (about 23.4649 km) per hour. This makes it faster than any other asteroid that crosses the earth.

The asteroid will pass through Earth at a great distance, NASA says that amateur astronomers with the right equipment will be able to see it. NASA has also revealed that amateur astronomers can see it if they use the right equipment.