#AstroMiniBR: Two large asteroids “near” Earth

TecMundo and #AstroMiniBR have been meeting weekly for the past few years best astronomical factsto share with you a little more about the wonders of the universe.

OX may have been unplugged in Brazil, but we’ve reformulated our format to keep you up to date on the latest cosmological discoveries. Check it out below!

1. Two large “nearby” asteroids pass by Earth

In late June and early July, Two large asteroids passed close to Earth in 42 hourscaptured the attention of scientists and the public. The first asteroid larger than 2 km in diameter, 2011 UL21, passed by at a safe but relatively close range, providing a valuable opportunity for detailed observations.

Using advanced radar, scientists were able to determine its spherical shape and discover that it has a small moon. These observations help to better understand the physical properties of these objects and calculate their orbits more precisely, which is crucial for assessing the risk of them colliding with Earth in the future.

The second asteroid, 2024 MK, with a diameter of 150 meters, was only 290,000 km from Earth, 75% of the distance to the Moon, although it did not pose an immediate threat. The asteroid’s proximity and size have highlighted the need to improve detection systems for near-Earth objects. (NEOs), because the asteroid was discovered just a week before its closest approach.

The event highlighted the importance of initiatives such as ESA’s Hera mission, which aims to develop effective planetary defence techniques.

2. Geomagnetic storm strengthens northern lights

On August 12, 2024, a severe geomagnetic storm hit Earth, causing a rare bright display in the sky. The phenomenon was triggered by a series of solar flares that resulted in a coronal mass ejection, which released a large amount of charged particles that interacted with Earth’s magnetic field.

This interaction The northern lights have intensified, visible in areas much further south than usual, including in the US states of Alabama and California.

Although the storm’s height occurred during the day, overshadowing some of the show, the event highlighted the potential impacts such storms can have not only on visual impacts, but also on technological infrastructure such as satellites and power grids. Events like these highlight the need for ongoing monitoring of space weather and the need to prepare mitigation measures to protect Earth from potentially major impacts.

3. The most distant black hole ever observed

Another impressive discovery was made in August with the galaxy GN-z11, one of the most distant galaxies ever observed, located approximately 13.4 billion light-years from Earth. James Webb reveals that GN-z11 hosts the most distant supermassive black hole ever detected, at full activity.

This black hole, which is about 2 million times the mass of the Sun, is in a state of rapid accretion and is consuming matter around it at an incredible rate. The presence of powerful winds being ejected from the galaxy, a common phenomenon in actively accreting black holes, has also been detected.

This discovery not only provides important information about the formation and evolution of black holes in the early universe, but also raises new questions about how these massive objects were able to form so quickly.

Do you like the new format? Tell us about it on our social networks and always stay informed about the latest astronomical discoveries on TecMundo! See you next week!