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The asteroid known as 2020 VP1 has traveled through the solar system, getting closer to Earth in the process. On November 11, the asteroid arrived only half the distance from Earth and the Moon, allowing astronomers to photograph it.
Experts from the Virtual Telescope Project have taken an image of the passing space rock being filmed by our planet.
With a width of 18 meters and a distance of over 180,000 kilometers, the Virtual Telescope has accomplished an impressive feat of photographing the small asteroid from such a distance.
The asteroid was only discovered the day before it crossed Earth, when NASA satellites detected it.
Observations from the space agency showed that the asteroid was traveling at a speed of 21.8 kilometers per second, or more than 78,000 kilometers per hour.
By photographing the asteroid, astronomers can use the data to learn more about its orbit.
The Virtual Telescope Project said: “A couple of hours ago, the near-Earth asteroid 2020 VP1 made an extremely close, but safe, approach with our planet, reaching a minimum distance from Earth of about 184,000 km, 0 , 48 times the average distance of the Moon.
“We captured it last night, helping to calculate its orbit.
“At the time of imaging, asteroid 2020 VP1 was approximately 830000 km from Earth and was approaching us.
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Even if the asteroid were on a collision course with our planet, it would pose no risk.
At 18 meters wide, space rock would simply burn in the atmosphere, similar to the Chelyabinsk incident.
In 2013, a 20-meter space rock crashed towards Earth, making its way through the atmosphere before exploding over the city of Chelyabinsk, Russia.
The asteroid blast was so powerful that it caused damage to more than 7,000 buildings and injured more than 1,400 people.
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