Hotel-sized asteroid passed Earth, but we didn't notice

From the same direction that brought with it the devastating meteoroid that impacted Earth a century ago, a new asteroid which can be three times larger.

Like its predecessor, which wreaked havoc and broke windows in Chelyabinsk, Russia, in 2013, no one could predict the approach of this new object. spatial.

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However, there is a crucial difference: this asteroid passed dangerously close to our planet, serving as a an alarming reminder of humanity's limitations in properly detecting and monitoring these celestial objects.

The asteroid called 2023 NT1 was spotted for the first time, surprising astronomers by revealing that it had already passed close to Earth on July 13.

NASA prepares mission to study the asteroid

The fact that asteroid 2023 NT1 went unnoticed until after its close approach to Earth is a vivid reminder of humanity's limitations in detecting celestial objects in certain circumstances.

When an object moves toward the sun, bright light and solar glare can obscure its visibility, making it difficult to detect. That's one of the reasons why 2023 NT1 was only identified after it had passed us by.

NASA is preparing to launch the NEO Surveyor mission, planned for the 2030s. This mission aims to help fill this gap in our planetary protection systems by providing a more robust detection and monitoring system for near asteroids. Earth.

The meteor that hit Chelyabinsk had an estimated diameter of about 20 meters when it entered our atmosphere, causing significant damage and a shock wave that affected the region where it fell.

By contrast, asteroid 2023 NT1 appears to be roughly three times the size in width, which puts it on impressive scale.

To get an idea of ​​the size of the “sneaky” asteroid, we can make a comparison with known structures. Estimating its size makes it roughly the size of a hotel, such as the iconic George Washington in New York or the imposing Idaho State Capitol. It is almost unbelievable that such an object could have escaped Earth's astronaut lens!

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