المملكة: "Jeddah Astronomy": A small asteroid crossing near Earth without any risks
Jeddah Astronomical Society Engineer Planet Earth.
Abu Zahra explained that the asteroid is only about 3 meters in diameter, and is moving at a relatively high speed within the category of near-Earth asteroids, indicating that it will reach the closest point to our planet at a distance estimated at about 136,500 kilometers, that is, less than half the average distance between the Earth and the Moon, which is approximately 385 thousand kilometers. Despite this relative proximity, he stressed that the asteroid’s path is completely safe and does not pose any danger.
Approved standards
He stated that the asteroid is considered very small according to the approved astronomical standards, and will not be visible to the naked eye when it approaches.
He added that even if a scenario of a possible collision with the Earth’s atmosphere is assumed, this small rocky body will turn into a fireball and disappear completely, which is a normal thing that happens several times a year as a result of the entry of similar space rocks into the Earth’s atmosphere. Size to atmosphere.
A big challenge
The president of the association pointed out that scientific estimates indicate the presence of hundreds of millions of small asteroids that are similar to the 2026 CR2 asteroid in size, but monitoring them represents a great challenge due to their small diameters and speed of movement, as most of them can only be discovered when they are very close to Earth. However, the vast majority of these objects pass safely at safe distances, often far beyond the lunar orbit.
Small asteroids
He emphasized that the discovery of such small asteroids is an important scientific achievement, given the narrow window of time available to observe them, which usually does not exceed a few days before or after their approach. In this short period, the asteroid will be close enough to appear in telescopes, without its apparent speed being so high as to prevent it from being accurately tracked and monitored.
Abu Zahra concluded his speech by stressing that studying these asteroids represents great scientific value, as they are considered a “time machine” that takes scientists back to the beginnings of the formation of the solar system, as they are original remains from that ancient era and carry in their components secrets that may contribute to understanding the origin of the Earth.
And observing Their paths and movements are an important practical test of the monitoring and tracking capabilities of near-Earth objects, and an assessment of the scientific community’s readiness to deal with any real potential threat from larger asteroids in the future.
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