This is not the first time that asteroid 388945 has visited us. It passed near Earth in May 2020, at a distance of 3 million km.
NASA expects asteroid 388945 (2008 TZ3) to pass near Earth around 9:18 pm GMT, 11 pm French time on Sunday, May 15.
Although the asteroid’s path is located at a distance of about 3.5 million kilometers, it is still considered a potential danger by NASA. If an asteroid is located 4.65 million kilometers from our planet and exceeds a certain size, it is considered a “potential danger,” according to the space agency.
This is almost a giant space rock width 500 meters This is not his first visit. It passes close to Earth regularly, every two years, according to NASA.
The giant space rock is moving at a speed of 37,400 kilometers per hour, which is 9 times faster than a rifle bullet.
NASA is closely tracking the asteroid.
Despite the enormous distance, on a space scale, the tracks are closely monitored and scientists are taking the collision risk very seriously. Because if NASA reports this passage as a “close presence”, it is because the distance of 3.5 million kilometers requires caution. In the event of a collision with another asteroid, the debris could, for example, approach the Earth.
If asteroids, such as 2008 TZ3, are described as dangerous, it is due to “complex calculations regarding size (greater than 150 metres) and the distance the object is approaching”. from our planet.
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Asteroid 388945 (2008 TZ3) was discovered in 2008 and has an orbital period of 732 days. It will appear next time in May 2024, but much further, more than 7 million km away.
