New Delhi:
Is the Earth on the verge massive calamity? Experts have claimed that more than 700,000 asteroids have been spotted in space, and at least five of these asteroids will turn into a threat for the blue planet in 2019 itself. Reports suggest if these space rocks somehow enter the earth's atmosphere and hit the planet, there will be no existence of humans.
The NASA has said it has so far found and monitoring 8,000 near-earth asteroids which are at least 140 meters wide. Greg Leonard, a senior research specialist at the Catalina Sky Survey (CSS), which is an astronomical survey organisation, said: "If we do nothing, sooner or later, there's a one hundred percent chance that one will get us."
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According to recent reports, an asteroid known as 2019 MO has exploded after hitting the Earth's atmosphere above the Caribbean a few days ago that left the NASA stunned as the space agency did not know that it was heading towards the blue planet. But now the space agency has confirmation on the new asteroid incoming and they predicted to pass by earth at a "threatening distance" of just 44,000 miles away.
The NASA said the destroyed asteroid called 2019 MO was about 310,000 miles away from earth when they first spotted it and added that "this was roughly the equivalent of spotting something the size of a gnat from a distance of 310 miles (500 kilometres)."
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A small asteroid identified as 2019 MO recently shot towards Earth at 14.9 kilometres per second and NASA had no idea about it, reported express.co.uk. Well, you would be shocked to hear that. Aren’t you? It is to be noted that asteroids (space rocks) are small, rocky objects that orbit the Sun. The space rocks approach towards the Earth due to the gravitational forces that affect them. Asteroids can bring tsunamis, shock waves and flattening winds that could be catastrophic.
Coming back to the asteroid 2019 MO, the space rock was just three metres wide and exploded when it hit the planet’s atmosphere on 22 July this year above the Caribbean. NASA said, “When first spotted, 2019 MO was about 310,000 miles (500,000 kilometers) from Earth - farther out than the orbit of our Moon. This was roughly the equivalent of spotting something the size of a gnat from a distance of 310 miles (500 kilometres).”
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In August this year, asteroids identified as 2019 ON, 2006 QQ23, 454094 2013 BZ45, 2018 PN22, 2016 PD, 2002 JR100 and 2019 OU1 would have hit our planet. Lucky we are, as they all failed to hit our planet and we are safe. According to a report published by spacetelescope.org, there are more than 7 lakh asteroids that have been found in space. Asteroids are mainly found in an area called the ‘main belt’, between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
