Scientists at NASA reported that the asteroid 163373, identified as ‘potentially dangerous’, will pass very close to Earth next February 15th.
So far it is known that the rock has a diameter between 440 and 900 meters and NASA is already monitoring it as it passes through our planet.
The 163373 was discovered in 1995 and since then it is listed as ‘dangerous’.
“The distance is enormous, almost six million kilometers (…) Obviously the asteroid passage does not entail a danger, and even hypothetical, for the Earth,” said Baigashov.
Baigashov insisted that the probability of an impact with the Earth is practically nil.
The last time a large asteroid of more than 10 kilometers collided with our planet was 66 million years ago and gave rise to the Chicxulub crater in Mexico and the extinction of dinosaurs.
The scientist said that astronomers around the world follow the movement of all dangerous space objects and powerful computers make it possible to model their trajectory.
Source: Excelsior
