NASA has identified that the biggest known asteroid of 2021 is set to fly by Earth on March 21.
Asteroid 231937 or 2001 FO32 is estimated to be about 1.7 kilometers in diameter, almost the same length as the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Traveling at about 34.4 km per second, it is known to be one of the fastest space rocks to fly by Earth. Although it travels in great speed and its orbit is well known, NASA assures that it poses no risk of impact.
While FO32 is 97 percent larger than the other asteroids, it is not going to be visible to the naked eye. However, since it has the potential to make a close approach to Earth by about 2,016,351 km, NASA classified it as “potential hazardous asteroid”. Potential Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs) are defined based on asteroid’s potential to make a close threatening approach to the Earth.
This 2021 approach marks the closest to the Earth in 200 years. After March 21, this asteroid is set to pass by Earth again 31 years later on March 22, 2052.
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