NASA scientists have discovered an asteroid that will pass veryclose to Earth this afternoon, but without presenting a threat to our planet. Asteroid the size of a bus, with a diameter of 11 meters, was named2012 BX34. It will pass about 59,044 km from Earth, a distance much smaller than the moon orbiting the planet (approximately 386 000 km). According to researchers, the asteroid will pass Earth at 15:30 GMT.
"Even if they enter the atmosphere of our planet, the asteroid is toosmall to be dangerous and will disintegrate," explained theresearchers at Asteroid Watch. NASA scientists regularly monitor sky to identify asteroids that could constitute a threat to our planet. Experts estimate that asteroids with a diameter of 140 meters can cause a massive disaster around the area of impact. For a planetary disaster requires larger diameterasteroid.
According to the B612 Foundation, astronaut Rusty Schweickartled, our planet was struck by large asteroids capable of causingwidespread disaster, every 200-300 years. Astronaut Foundationadvocates for the development of technologies capable of stoppingan asteroid "killer" before it could hit Earth.
Dinosaurs did not have such technology, disappearing after acatastrophic impact 65 million years ago, along with numerous other species of animals and plants.
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