Earth Had Close Encounter With Space Rock 2020 BH6 (Representative Image) (Photo Credit: Pixabay.com)
New Delhi:
Earth had a close encounter with an asteroid (space rock) identified as 2020 BH6 on Saturday morning. Measuring somewhere around 42 feet, asteroid 2020 BH6 came dangerously close to Earth at around 10:41 AM (IST). Fortunately, asteroid 2020 BH6 failed to collide with our planet or else destruction would have occurred.
During the flyby, asteroid 2020 BH6 reached a speed of more than 22,800 mph and buzzed Earth from only 37,200 miles away. According to a report of inquisitr.com, asteroid passed at 0.18 times the distance to the moon during Saturday’s near-miss. Interestingly, asteroid 2020 BH6 is that it almost slipped past NASA’s radar. The object was only discovered yesterday — less than 24 hours before its close flyby of Earth.
Classified as an Aten asteroid, space rock 2020 BH6 circles the sun once every 2.4 years. The asteroid previously visited Earth in 2015 and 2002. Importantly, three other flybys of Earth occurred between 1903 and 1964. Asteroid 2020 BH6 will return in 2031 and then again in 2040.
Also Read: Asteroid 2019 WB7 To Zip Past Earth Today At THIS Time: Know More
It is to be noted that asteroids, if hit Earth, can bring tsunamis, shock waves and flattening winds that could be catastrophic. The space rocks approach towards the Earth due to the gravitational forces that affect them. It is said that one day all life on the Earth will be extinct. Not only life, but the Earth will also extinct someday and an asteroid could be the possible reason. Shocked to hear that? However, a car-sized asteroid slams into the Earth's atmosphere about once in a year. On the other hand, an asteroid large enough to threaten the existence of life on Earth arrives once every few million.
