On Tuesday, after 5 o'clock Polish time, the asteroid of the size of a school bus will fly close to the earth. 2025 BS4 moves at a speed of 16 kilometers per second and our planet will pass at a distance of about 822 thousand kilometers. The event will precede the flight of another celestial body, 2025 BF5.
Both objects are classified as Neo, i.e. objects close to Earth (Near Earth objects). By definition, they are planetoids and comets, whose orbit pass close to earth orbit (less than 1.3 distances of the earth from the sun). Such objects are tracked by an American space agency NASA.
On Tuesday, two asteroids will fly close to Earth: 20225 BF5 and 2025 BS4. The first of them will pass our planet at a distance of 1.28 million kilometers, and the second – 822 thousand kilometers. For comparison, the moon divides 384 400 km from Earth.
Moves faster than a missile
The facilities have a size that corresponds to a more or less school bus. Asteroid 2025 BS4, which will pass our planet at 5.36, impresses at its speed of 16 km/s, which is many times higher than a bullet fired from a machine gun. A little slower, because at a speed of about 11 km/s, 2025 BF5 moves, which will be near Earth at 4.50.
In the coming weeks we still have some interesting visits. On February 4 at 5.36, a tiny 2025 BB2 object will be exceptionally close to Earth – its minimum distance from our planet will be less than 291 thousand kilometers, which is less than the distance between Earth and the Moon. The largest guest will be the Asteroid 2024 UD26, which will approach us on February 16 at 11.04 – Its diameter is estimated at 190 to even 420 meters.
Heavenly bodies due to their small size are not considered PHA, i.e. those that could be dangerous to the Earth. PHA (Potential Hazardous Object) are objects that are approaching 0.05 astronomical units (19.5 distances to the moon) and are large enough (diameter greater than 140 m) that in the event of a hit they would cause a disaster on a regional scale.
Newsweek, NASA CNEOS, Naukawpolsce
Source of the main photo: Shutterstock (illustrative photo)