Space: On Friday the 13th, an asteroid the size of a London bus missed Earth by only 240 miles

An asteroid the size of a London bus missed Earth by only 240 miles (386 km) on Friday the 13th, but was not detected until the next day, astronomers revealed.

The space rock, dubbed “ 2020 VT4, ” was spotted just 15 hours after its closest approach from the Last Alert Earth-impacted asteroid system on Mauna Loa, Hawaii.

Had it been much closer, the 5-10m-wide body, as estimated by its brightness, would have burned in the atmosphere over the South Pacific.

Its orbit brought it the same distance from Earth as the International Space Station, making it the closest asteroid to pass from Earth to date recorded.

A London bus-sized asteroid missed Earth by only 240 miles (386 km) on Friday the 13th, but was not detected until the next day, astronomers revealed (archive image)

The space rock, dubbed “ 2020 VT4 ” (highlighted above), was spotted just 15 hours after its closest approach from the Last Alert Earth-impacted asteroid system on Mauna Loa, Hawaii

Before being named 2020 VT4, the asteroid was originally designated A10sHcN.

“The newly discovered asteroid A10sHcN approached Earth yesterday, passing only a few hundred miles above the South Pacific Ocean,” astronomer Tony Dunn – who runs the “Orbit Simulator” website – tweeted.

“This encounter shortened its orbit, ensuring that this Earth cruiser will make more frequent close approaches.”

According to experts, an asteroid would have to be at least 82 feet (25 meters) in diameter to cause localized damage to the Earth’s surface and about 0.6-1.2 miles (1-2 kilometers) to have global impacts.

For comparison, earth scientists believe the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs 66 million years ago was about 12.1 kilometers wide.

Meanwhile, the Chelyabinsk meteor that exploded over Russia in 2013 – shattering the windows of thousands of buildings over a large area and hospitalizing 112 people – would have been about thirty times bigger than 2020 VT4.

Conversely, a simulation device would probably have to be about 96 kilometers wide to completely eradicate the existence of life on our planet.

Had it been much closer, the 5-10m wide body, as estimated by its brightness, would have burned in the atmosphere over the South Pacific. In the photo, asteroid 2020 VT4 (top), a London bus (center), and Earth’s previous closest known asteroid crossing record holder, 2020QC (bottom)

The orbit of 2020 VT4 (pictured in white) brought it the same distance from Earth (shown in blue) as the International Space Station, making it the closest recorded asteroid visitor

This isn’t the first time this year that a space visitor has broken the closest asteroid passing record.

In August, asteroid 2020 HQ passed just 1,830 miles from Earth, and NASA astronomers did not locate it until it passed.

The rock passed over the Indian Ocean about the same distance from the Earth’s surface as the journey from Copenhagen, Denmark, to Malaga, Spain.

Slightly smaller than the 2020 VT4, the 2020 QC was around 6-18 feet (1.8-5.5m) in diameter. Objects of this size come closer to our planet every year.

HQ 2020 was similar in size to another asteroid that entered Earth’s atmosphere: the 9-12 foot-diameter “ 2018 LA ”, which reached us on June 2, 2018.

This space rock burned over Africa and if any tiny fragments hit the ground, no damage or injury was reported.

Coincidentally, 2020 VT4 isn’t the only asteroid to visit Earth on Friday the 13th – with the 984-foot (300-meter) wide body nicknamed Apophis expected to pass close by on Friday, April 13, 2029.

Coincidentally, 2020 VT4 isn’t the only asteroid to visit Earth on Friday the 13th – with the 984-foot (300-meter) wide body dubbed Apophis expected to pass by us on Friday, April 13, 2029. In the photo, an artist’s impression of Apophis approaching the earth

Astronomers are looking for asteroids larger than 450 feet as they can cause ‘catastrophic damage’

Researchers have discovered most of the asteroids around a kilometer in size, but are now on the hunt for those that are around 459 feet (140 m), as they could cause catastrophic damage.

Although no one knows when the next major impact will occur, scientists have come under pressure to predict – and intercept – its arrival.

Impression of the artist in the photo

“Sooner or later we will have … less or greater impact,” said Rolf Densing, head of the European Space Operations Center (ESOC) in Darmstadt.

It may not happen in our life, he said, but “the risk of Earth being hit by a devastating event one day is very high.”

“For now there is little we can do.”

Source: AFP