As three massive airplane-sized asteroids are expected to fly past Earth today, NASA has issued a warning regarding another potentially hazardous asteroid approaching soon. The ones passing Earth today are reported to be at a safe distance, but the one passing us next week, 1994 WR12, is said to be bigger than a football field and closer to Earth compared to the ones passing today.
NASA’s report also suggests that a slight deviation in its path could turn us into dinosaurs. In addition, researchers have predicted that it will get as close as 1.01 million miles by 2046, but it could get as close as 3.8 million miles this time.
Near-Earth #asteroid 1994 PC1 (~1 km wide) is very well known and has been studied for decades by our #PlanetaryDefense experts. Rest assured, 1994 PC1 will safely fly past our planet 1.2 million miles away next Tues., Jan. 18.
Track it yourself here: https://t.co/JMAPWiirZh pic.twitter.com/35pgUb1anq
— NASA Asteroid Watch (@AsteroidWatch) January 12, 2022
Although NASA has already calculated and predicted the trajectory of asteroids around Earth, they have also stated that none of them will pose any threat in the near future. However, the space agency has also conducted a Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) on Nov. 25 to avoid any possible danger from asteroids.
We are reminded of Adam McKay’s recently-released satirical sci-fi movie in which Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence portray astronomers trying to warn everyone about a coming comet that would mark the end of civilization. Adam McKay’s film also stars Timothée Chalamet, Jonah Hill, Ariana Grande, Cate Blanchett, Meryl Streep and others in pivotal roles and has already earned several nominations following rave reviews from critics.