Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
99942 Apophis (provisional designation 2004 MN 4) is a near-Earth asteroid and a potentially hazardous object, 450 metres (1,480 ft) by 170 metres (560 ft) in size, [3] that caused a brief period of concern in December 2004 when initial observations indicated a probability of 2.7% that it would hit Earth on Friday, April 13, 2029.
Artist's impression of the asteroid slamming into tropical, shallow seas of the sulfur-rich Yucatán Peninsula in what is today Southeast Mexico. [13] The aftermath of the asteroid collision, which occurred approximately 66 million years ago, is believed to have caused the mass extinction of non-avian dinosaurs and many other species on Earth. [13]
For premium support please call: 800-290-4726 more ways to reach us
This is a list of asteroids that have impacted Earth after discovery and orbit calculation that predicted the impact in advance. As of December 2024 [update] , all of the asteroids with predicted impacts were under 5 m (16 ft) in size that were discovered just hours before impact, and burned up in the atmosphere as meteors .
Asteroids orbiting between Earth and the sun are especially hard to find, but NASA can't deflect hazardous space rocks if astronomers don't spot them.
The 7,600-foot long celestial object has earned the nickname ‘planet killer,’ flying at speeds of 58,000 miles per hour
At nearly 1.5 kilometers wide, it's the largest such asteroid discovered in eight years. Robin George Andrews (31 October 2022). " 'Planet Killer' Asteroid Spotted That Poses Distant Risk to Earth". The New York Times. Ashley Strickland (31 October 2022). " 'Planet killer' asteroid spotted hiding in the sun's glare". CNN.
The massive space rock could be "very bad for life as we know it" if it collided with Earth.