It touches the Earth at less than 3000 km: the asteroid is detected only 6 hours later
The asteroid 1998 OR2 arrives: it will greet the Earth 6 million km away
Asteroid 1998 OR2 closest to Earth, but at a safe distance
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March 21, 2021 The first weekend of spring greets the passage of the largest asteroid of 2021 to visit our planet.
It is called 2001 FO32, it has an estimated diameter of around one kilometer and on March 21, at 16:03 Italian time, it will pass at a safe distance of about 2 million kilometers from the Earth, just over five times the distance of the Moon.
"Unfortunately, the passage greatly favors the southern hemisphere, given the decidedly southern celestial position of 2001 FO32", explains to Ansa the astrophysicist, Gianluca Masi, head of the Virtual Telescope Project and coordinator for Italy of Asteroid day .
"We will try to share live images of the asteroid on March 22, at 05:00 in the morning when, shortly after the close passage, it will become visible from Italy, albeit in difficult conditions", Masi clarifies.
The astrophysicist points out that the asteroid, with its two million kilometers away from the Earth, "does not represent a threat to our planet in any way. For Masi, in fact," the 'potentially dangerous' definition of 2001 FO32 does not identifies in any way an impact event.
It is, in fact, assigned to every asteroid that has a diameter greater than about 140 meters and moves on an orbit capable of bringing it within 7.5 million kilometers from Earth's. "
It is, however, an important appointment for astronomers and enthusiasts of the sky. "The generous dimensions of this celestial body, together with the reduced transit distance compared to an ordinary asteroid - concludes Masi - represent, in fact, a precious opportunity to study it, or observe it, even with amateur instruments". the subsequent passage of the asteroid 2001 FO32 from the parts of the Earth, we will have to wait until 2052, when it will pass at about 2.8 million kilometers.