An asteroid 2020 QL2, the size of a professional football pitch to pass by Earth’s orbit on Monday, 14th September. It is another Near Earth Object (NEO) as NASA scientists claim.
Though it is pretty close to Earth, there are no chances of it colliding with our planet.
It is flying at a pace of 24,000 mph within a distance of 6.8 million kilometres according to the NASA’s ‘Centre of Near Earth’s Objects Studies.’
Even 2020 QL2 falls in the “potentially hazardous” category as it comes within 4.6 million miles label.
NASA posts: “What would we do if an NEO (Near-Earth Object) were found to be on a collision course with Earth? Could we deflect the asteroid to prevent the impact?
“In collaboration with Aerospace Corp., CNEOS has developed an NEO Deflection App, which examines the kinetic impactor deflection technique for a series of hypothetical impacting asteroids.
“This calculates the velocity changes necessary to deflect the asteroid away from Earth impact, as a function of parameters such as asteroid size and deflection time, and it allows the user to design a realistic deflection mission.”
This asteroid was first spotted on the 14th August. It is at a distance of 17 times that of the Earth and the Moon.
Though 2020 QL2 is deemed “potentially hazardous” scientists have assured that there is nothing to worry about.
