Enormous Asteroid Traveling at 72,000 mph Only Just Spotted Nearing Earth

newsweek.com ^ | 8/1/22 AT 12:51 PM EDT | ARISTOS GEORGIOU ON

[BenLurkin]

An asteroid ...is set to fly safely past Earth later this week after being discovered just a few days ago.

The space rock, dubbed 2022 OE2, will make a close approach to our planet on Wednesday, figures from NASA's Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) database show.

At 8:23 p.m. ET on that day, the asteroid is predicted to come within around 3.2 million miles of Earth in its own orbit around the sun.

...astronomers usually provide a range for size estimates, which in the case of 2022 OE2 is 170-380 meters (558-1,247 feet).

According to the CNEOS figures, 2022 OE2 will be traveling at a staggering speed of nearly 72,000 miles per hour.

[TexasGator]

https://leasehackr.com/blog/2021/10/13/should-i-buy-out-my-lease-and-how

[CodeToad]

“If a “city-killer” rock ever does strike Earth, do you think it may come as a complete surprise (as did the Russian bolide)?”

Yep. We scan such a small amount of space for killer rocks.

[xp38]

This is the earth moon system in true scale. One of the few astronomical things we can do this with. The Sun would be down the block somewhere. The distance between the earth and the moon averages out to 238 thousand miles. 3.2 million would mean 13.44 times this distance.

[Cobra64]

This calls for a world wide mask mandate and an asteroid booster shot.

[Larry Lucido]

Well, Sinclair is laying off.

[ClearCase_guy]

This thing is big enough to flatten any curve — and it will do it in less than two weeks.

[PIF]

Enormous asteroids are measured in miles, not mere handful of meters.

[Daffynition]

Climate Change Killed The Dinosaurs. ‘Drastic Global Winter’ After Asteroid Strike, Say Scientists

[xp38]

Those prices are sure extinct for now.

[libh8er]

“ come within around 3.2 million miles of Earth”

3.2 million miles ?? That’s practically our front yard !

[DarrellZero]

It’s an emergency! Turn in your guns, boys.

It’s the only solution.

[UCANSEE2]

“at a staggering speed of nearly 72,000 miles per hour.” Close to the speed of earth.

Or maybe the asteroid isn't moving at all.

[Disambiguator]

So THAT’S what happened to the dinosaurs.

[I want the USA back]

Another one!

And it’s going to fly safely past the Earth.

How many is that?

[fwdude]

More fear porn... send money “here.”

[V_TWIN]

As a kid I remember being given one of those plastic toy dinosaurs by one of the 3-4 guys got through gasing up, checking under the hood and cleaning the windshield of our car.

I bet a lot of people that read this won’t know what the heck I’m talking about. Lol!

[V_TWIN]

And ballot drop boxes....don’t forget the ballot drop boxes.

[BipolarBob]

No, they turned in their guns. The fools.

[Doctor Congo]

It will probably miss us but I am putting pillows on the roof just in case.
And I will mow a bullseye out in the back 40.

[Interesting Times]

This cracks me up:

According to the CNEOS figures, 2022 OE2 will be traveling at a staggering speed of nearly 72,000 miles per hour. This is about 40 times faster than a rifle bullet, and around one third as fast as a bolt of lightning.

That would certainly be true if miles per hour were the same as miles per second.