NASA SAYS AN ASTEROID HAS COME NEAR EARTH

Fri 29 December 2023:

The Asteroid 2020 KT4 belongs to the Apollo group of asteroids. These are Near-Earth Asteroids. The asteroid has come in Earth’s vicinity right in the holiday season. The asteroid is the size of a big aircraft, it is about 250 feet wide.

It is hurtling through space at a huge speed of 25,000 kilometres per hour. This makes it faster than even Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBM). NASA says that this is not the first time Asteroid 2020 KT4 has come near Earth. It first said hello on October 4, 1906. At that time, it made a fly-by at a distance of about 72 million kilometres from Earth.

After his travel past Earth in the Christmas season, it will again come close to Earth on July 8, 2024. The asteroid has not been classified as Potentially Hazardous Object. It does not pose a threat to Earth.

We may normally dismiss asteroids as mere space rocks but they may have performed greater function. Scientists think that ingredients required for life on Earth were actually ‘delivered’ to Earth by asteroids and even comets.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

______________________________________________________________

FOLLOW INDEPENDENT PRESS:

WhatsApp CHANNEL
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAtNxX8fewmiFmN7N22