NASA Detects Five Massive Asteroids Heading For Earth This Weekend

ibtimes ^ | 01/16/2020 | Inigo Monzon

[BenLurkin]

The first asteroid that will fly close to Earth on Saturday has been identified by NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies as 2020 AH1. This asteroid is currently moving at an average speed of almost 18,000 miles per hour...estimated that this asteroid is about 246 feet wide.

Trailing behind 2020 AH1 is an asteroid known as 2009 BH2... this asteroid measures about 656 feet wide, making it the largest space rock in the group. 2009 BH2 is currently flying towards Earth at a velocity of 40,000 miles per hour.

The last asteroid that will visit Earth’s vicinity on Saturday is called 2020 AQ3. It is traveling at a speed of about 28,000 miles per hour and has an estimated diameter of 360 feet.

All three asteroids will fly near Earth on Jan. 18. 2020 AH1 will arrive ...3.8 million miles away. 2009 BH2...will fly past Earth from a distance of 0.03749 astronomical units or 3.5 million miles away.

As for 2020 AQ3... the asteroid will be about 0.04339 astronomical units or around 4 million miles from the planet’s center.

[House Atreides]

Trump’s fault! ;-)

[Equine1952]

Rock Me Baby. Steppenwolf. Jupiter’s Child is better.

[right way right]

‘Close’ is a relative term.
(Thankfully)

[grey_whiskers]

SMOD?

[blam]

Because of the different speeds, not in a group.

So, just a coincidence that they are seeming to be momentarly grouping now?

[Steely Tom]

The Universe, the very fabric of space-time, is expressing its extreme displeasure with Trump.

[LegendHasIt]

Quit trying to cheer me up.

[BenLurkin]

[MrEdd]

Following the Hondurans.

[rdl6989]

3 million miles.

[Inyo-Mono]

Bookmark for reading after the event, if we are still here.

[Darksheare]

Bpearthwatch to insist we’re going to die for the millionth time...

[citizen]

Cancel that CALL BRUCE WILLIS alert.

[stars & stripes forever]

[Ratman0823]

If one of the asteroids hit the earth, will it be deemed an “impeachable offense” by N...a...n...c...y...P...e...l...o...s...i? (ellipses added for pen changing)

[The Antiyuppie]

Happens all the time; this only gets interesting when they are closer than the Moon’s orbit (250K miles), and REALLY interesting at 1/10 that, near the orbits of communication satellites.

[jmacusa]

That’s close.

[Halgr]

IBT is known for their combination click bait and Fake News titles....these rocks are so far away as to be of no consequence.

[cgbg]

If a major asteroid hit the Earth, Greta would scream “I told you so”. ;-)