One of the closest approaches of an asteroid to Earth happened over the weekend. Shockingly, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration had no idea it happens in the first place. Here's what happened on this car-sized asteroid called 2020 QG.
2020 QG passes by Earth on Sunday
Closest Car-Sized Asteroid Nearly Hit Earth This Week, But NASA Had No Idea it Happen
On Sunday, Aug. 16, Business Insider reported about a possible asteroid impact on Earth. It was seen over the weekend, rushing in to clash near the planet.
However, for an unknown reason, the asteroid only passes by and not continued hitting Earth. Another shocking info was that the space agency NASA did not know that an asteroid was about to hit the planet.
The asteroid, called 2020 QG, is as big as a car and runs towards Earth for about 1,830 miles (2,950 kilometers). The Sormano Astronomical Observatory in Italy first released info about the space rock.
Though it has a significant size for an asteroid, the space agency said that it does not pose any harm to Earth-- even if it continued to hit the planet.
The bothersome issue on this was that the national space agency NASA had no idea that a huge asteroid was coming on the planet.
"The asteroid approached undetected from the direction of the sun," Paul Chodas, the director of NASA's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies, told Business Insider. "We didn't see it coming."
NASA's lack of info about the 2020 QG was totally unexpected. After all, the agency regularly collects data about all near-Earth objects (NEOs). In this case, if the asteroid hits Earth, the blame may be focus on the agency since NEO-surveillance should be their responsibility.
Undetected space rock is still dangerous
Closest Car-Sized Asteroid Nearly Hit Earth This Week, But NASA Had No Idea it Happen
Though Italy's astronomical firm said that 2020 QG does not pose threat to Earth, the Palomar Observatory in California and NASA warned that the space rock had actually broken the record of the closest asteroid nearly hitting the planet.
"Yesterday's close approach is closest on record if you discount a few known asteroids that have actually impacted our planet," NASA said.
Business Insider also found out that another scientist had already recorded info about the 2020 QG. He even made a detailed simulation video, showing the velocity and speed of the asteroid when it was heading to the planet.
Newly-discovered asteroid ZTF0DxQ passed less than 1/4 Earth diameter yesterday, making it the closest-known flyby that didn't hit our planet.@renerpho
Simulation: https://t.co/a81R100OwV
Higher-res GIF: https://t.co/4Wxn0YNpVb pic.twitter.com/SMtVRbjYOA — Tony Dunn (@tony873004) August 17, 2020
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Written by Jamie Pancho
