Asteroid about 200 meters in size will pass close to Earth

One The asteroid, about 200 m wide, will pass close to Earth on May 24., but it should not pose a risk to humanity, according to NASA. It was included in the “NEO Earth Close Approaches” program, which monitors space rocks approaching the planet.

More than twice the size of the Statue of Liberty, the famous landmark of New York City in the United States, The object, designated “2023 CL3,” should pass less than 7.2 million km from the planet.. This may seem far, but in the context of space dimensions it is considered a short distance.

It is estimated to travel at a speed of 26,000 km/h when it comes closest. Under these conditions, a possible impact would cause problems, especially in areas close to the crash site, given its measurements, but experts from the US space agency rule out such a possibility.

For those who like to observe the night sky in search of asteroids, meteorites, and other objects floating in space, You’ll need a telescope to see 2023 CL3. Scientists must take advantage of proximity to conduct new studies.

planetary defense system

The passing of asteroids near the planet always raises concerns for many people, due to the event that led to the extinction of the dinosaurs when a giant rock fell on the land that now belongs to Mexico. As a result, discussions on Earth’s conservation have increased in recent years.

For some experts, we currently have no effective method to defend ourselves against collisions with potentially dangerous objects. The one who was already frightened by this was Twitter owner and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, who said there was no protection against a larger space rock falling in 2019.

The theme, covered in several Hollywood disaster movies, is increasingly being debated by science. The American space agency is developing options to strengthen the planet’s defenses, in addition to its program of tracking nearby objects.

One of these actions was the launch of the Double Asteroid Redirect Test (DART) mission in 2021. Proved to have the ability to deflect Dimorphos remembering from its original orbit that it was not on a collision course with Earth. The test is part of the currently ongoing planetary defense system development program.