In the coming days, our planet will collide with two large asteroids that could pose a threat to life on Earth.
Asteroids that approach Earth are considered potentially dangerous. Normally, to be dangerous, an asteroid must be less than 7.5 million kilometers from Earth and be more than 140 meters in size.
In this case, the two asteroids are between 400 and 800 meters in size and will pass by Earth at a distance several times greater than the distance to the Moon. Thus, the first asteroid (488453) 1994 XD will pass by the Earth on June 12 at a distance of 3.2 million kilometers (8 times farther away from the Moon), and the second asteroid 2020 DB5 will pass by the Earth on June 15 at a distance 11 times farther away from the Moon.
Although these asteroids are not a threat to Earth, they remind us that our planet is constantly under threat from space objects. Large asteroids could lead to a global catastrophe that could destroy life on Earth.
Therefore, scientists continue to explore space objects and develop methods to protect against potentially dangerous asteroids. One such method is the use of spacecraft to alter an asteroid’s trajectory.
Recall that in 2013 there was a powerful explosion in the Chelyabinsk region caused by a meteorite fall. As a result of the incident more than 1.5 thousand people were affected.
