NASA has recently shared details about an asteroid that will make a close approach to Earth on March 3. This event comes after a series of asteroid approaches last month, including one classified as Potentially Hazardous Asteroid 2008 OS7. NASA closely monitored this asteroid’s orbit using advanced space and ground-based telescopes. Let’s dive into the specifics of this upcoming celestial event. Known as Asteroid 2019 DA1, this Near-Earth Asteroid (NEA) is expected to zoom past our planet at a whopping speed of about 48,186 kilometers per hour, which is much faster than an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM)!
The Space Research Organisation also informs that the 2019 DS1 orbits the sun every 377 days (1.03 years), coming as close as 0.78 AU and reaching as far as 1.26 AU from the sun. “Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2019 DS1 is most probably between 0.020 to 0.045 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.”
During its closest flyby on March 3, the asteroid will pass by Earth at a distance of approximately 5.6 million kilometers. Although it’s labeled a Near-Earth Asteroid, there’s no potential harm it can do to planet Earth.
This asteroid belongs to the Apollo group of Near-Earth Asteroids, named after the massive 1862 Apollo asteroid discovered by German astronomer Karl Reinmuth in the 1930s. Apollo asteroids are space rocks that cross Earth’s orbit and have semi-major axes larger than Earth’s.
Measuring around 71 feet wide, Asteroid 2019 DA1 is almost as large as an aircraft. Despite its size, it poses no danger to Earth and has not been classified as a ‘Potentially Dangerous Asteroid,’ which typically applies to celestial objects larger than 492 feet that pass within 7.5 million kilometers of Earth.
Surprisingly, this isn’t the first time Asteroid 2019 DA1 has come close to Earth. It made its first approach on February 16, 1972, passing by the planet at a distance of 45 million kilometers. After its upcoming close approach, this Apollo group asteroid will fly by Earth again on February 26, 2029, at a distance of approximately 18 million kilometers.
While Asteroid 2019 DA1 will make a close approach to Earth on March 3, there’s no need for concern as it will safely pass by our planet. This event provides a fascinating opportunity to observe a celestial object up close and highlights the importance of continued monitoring of Near-Earth Asteroids to better understand their movements and potential impact risks.
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