Planet-killing asteroid to miss Earth

A “potentially hazardous” asteroid the size of Midtown Manhattan is large enough to destroy the Earth if it collided with our planet


Near Earth Object (NEO): Small object in Solar System whose orbit brings it into proximity with Earth – closest approach to Sun is less than 195m km

Potentially Hazardous Object (PHO): NEO that comes within less than 7.5 million km of Earth and is greater than 140 metres in size


April 29, 2020: Asteroid 1998 OR2 passes by Earth at distance of 6.2m km

Asteroid orbit: Takes 3 years and 8 months to orbit sun, travelling away nearly as far as Jupiter

Effect of largest estimated size of 1998 OR2 over New York City*

1998: First seen from Haleakala Observatory, Hawaii

As of Mar 2020, 1,955 of 22,261 known near-Earth asteroids are regarded as potentially hazardous


4.1km wide
1.8
Estimated size range of Asteroid 1998 OR2


EARTH
MARS
VENUS
SUN 
MERCURY


*Artist’s concept of near-Earth object


Sources: Space.com, NASA, Astronomy Now 
Pictures: Apple Maps, NASA 
© GRAPHIC NEWS