O asteroid 2024 MK will pass very close to Earth this Saturday (29). Although scientists say there is no risk of collision, the asteroid should be visible in the night sky with the help of a small telescope or good binoculars.
The 2024 MK has between 120 and 260 meters in diameterlarge for an object that will pass so close to our planet — any object over 20 meters can already cause damage to the ground in a possible collision.
The asteroid will pass just 290 thousand km from Earth, closer than the Moonwhich is approximately 384.4 thousand km from our planet.
How to observe asteroid 2024 MK?
The moment at which the asteroid should reach the closest point to Earth will be around 10:45 am on Saturday. However, at this time, the asteroid will not be visible in Brazil, as it will be below the horizon.
Therefore, the best time to observe 2024 MK should be just before dawn, between 5 am and 6 am. At this time, the asteroid should be visible close to the horizon in the west.
It will be difficult to find the object with the naked eye, but with the help of a small telescope or good binoculars the task becomes possible. A place with few lights, away from the city and without obstacles that impede the view of the horizon can also facilitate observation.
The Sky Live website is tracking the movement of asteroid 2024 MK and it is possible to use the portal to locate the object in the sky in real time. Enough enter the website by clicking here and change the settings for your location.
For those who are not in a location that allows for good observation, the Virtual Telescope Project will broadcast the asteroid’s passage live in this link.
Newly discovered asteroid
Even though 2024 MK is not at risk of colliding with Earth, the fact that it was discovered just a week before his passing It’s a little worrying.
An asteroid the size of 2024 MK would cause considerable damage if it came our way and, therefore, discovering its arrival a few days earlier left the scientific community alert to the constant need to improve technologies capable of detecting objects close to Earth.
Two asteroids in the same week
2024 MK is not the only one passing close to our planet this week. The asteroid (415029) 2011 UL212.3 km in diameter — larger than 99% of all known near-Earth objects — passed by Earth on Thursday (27).
However, (415029) 2011 UL21 did not come as close to the planet as 2024 MK will. Even at its closest point to Earth, it was about 17 times further from our planet than the Moon.
Share:
