(CNN) — Well, 2020 keeps getting better all the time.
Amid a pandemic, civil unrest and a divisive US election season, we now have an asteroid zooming toward us.
On the day before the presidential vote, no less.
Yep. The celestial object known as 2018VP1 is projected to come close to Earth on November 2, according to the Center for Near Earth Objects Studies at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. It was first identified at Palomar Observatory in California in 2018.
“Asteroid 2018VP1 is very small, approximately 6.5 feet, and poses no threat to Earth. If it were to enter our planet’s atmosphere, it would disintegrate due to its extremely small size,” NASA said in a statement. “NASA has been directed by Congress to discover 90% of the near-Earth asteroids larger than 140 meters (459 feet) in size and reports on asteroids of any size.”
NASA says that, “based on 21 observations spanning 12.968 days,” the agency has determined the asteroid probably — phew! — won’t have a deep impact, let alone bring Armageddon.
The chance of it hitting us is just 0.41%, data show.
CNN has reached out NASA for any additional or updated information but has not heard back.
Source: eastidahonews.com
Oh, great: NASA says an asteroid is headed our way right before Election Day
More from NationalMore posts in National »
- Convicted sex offender who hacked jumbotron at the Jacksonville Jaguars’ stadium gets 220 years
- Regular exercise is associated with less insomnia, study shows
- Police had about 90 seconds to stop traffic before Baltimore bridge fell. 6 workers are feared dead
- Teen wearing underwear on face arrested after trying to steal car in Washington state
- Pope Francis skips homily at Palm Sunday Mass in rare move
More from ScienceMore posts in Science »
- SpaceX launches 143 satellites on one rocket in record-setting mission
- The first studies on Idaho’s magnitude-6.5 earthquake are out. Here’s what they tell us.
- Amazon hits back in Parler court reply; invokes Big Tech’s liability shield
- Oil companies lock in drilling, challenging Biden on climate
- Remote drone vessel inspections help ATR prepare for major overhaul
Be First to Comment