Asteroid with power of 1,000 nuclear bombs to come dangerously close to Earth
Asteroid 2003 MH4, a colossal space rock measuring approximately 335 meters in diameter—about the length of three football fields—will make a close approach to Earth on May 24, 2025.Hurtling through space at a staggering 14 kilometers per second, this asteroid's size and velocity have drawn intense scrutiny from the global scientific community, even though there is no immediate threat to our planet.advertisementNASA's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) and planetary defense teams are vigilantly tracking 2003 MH4's trajectory.
The asteroid is set to pass at a distance of 6.68 million kilometers from Earth—roughly 17 times closer than the distance between the Earth and the Moon. While this might seem vast in everyday terms, astronomers consider such proximity significant, especially for an object of this magnitude.Asteroid 2003 MH4 is classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA), a designation reserved for space objects larger than 150 meters that come within 7.5 million kilometers of Earth.This status does not imply an imminent collision but highlights the necessity for ongoing monitoring, as even slight changes in an asteroid's path—caused by gravitational interactions with planets or the subtle Yarkovsky effect from solar radiation—could alter its future trajectory.advertisementThe asteroid's composition, density, and reflective properties are also under close examination, as these characteristics can influence its orbital behaviour and potential risk profile.Notably, 2003 MH4 belongs to the Apollo group of asteroids, known for their Earth-crossing orbits, which can sometimes bring them uncomfortably close to our planet.Experts emphasise that while the likelihood of an impact from 2003 MH4 remains extremely low, the flyby serves as a stark reminder of the importance of planetary defense initiatives.A direct hit from an asteroid of this size could unleash energy equivalent to thousands of nuclear bombs, causing widespread devastation, fires, tsunamis, and potentially triggering a global 'impact winter'.
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