STEM News: Asteroid makes closest flyby on record

On August 16, asteroid 2020 QG became the closest known non-impact asteroid after passing just 2,950 kilometers from Earth without being destroyed. For comparison, the International Space Station is 408 kilometers from Earth and the Moon is 384,400 kilometers away. Although the asteroid's trajectory appears distant, 2020 HQ passed close enough to Earth that Earth's gravity could alter its orbit by 45 degrees. In addition, most asteroids classified as near-Earth asteroids (NEAs) pass the Earth farther than the Moon. The asteroid moved at a relatively slow speed of 44,400 kilometers per hour (27,600 miles per hour) and passed over the Pacific Ocean, east of Australia. Another surprising aspect of Asteroid 2020 QG's near-Earth passage is that it was not detected until six hours after its closest approach. This is because the asteroid was coming from the direction of the sun and the optical telescopes that detect asteroids can only scan the night sky. If the asteroid had hit the Earth, it would not have been large enough to cause significant damage, but it would have been more likely to burn up in the atmosphere because of its small size.

Source:

Asteroid Makes the Closest Earth Flyby a Space Rock Has Ever Survived, Scientific American & An Asteroid Just Made The Closest Earth Fly-by on Record, And We Didn't See It Coming, Science Alert

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