On June 30, 1908, An asteroid shook the remote Tunguska regionIn Siberia, Russia, a huge explosion lit up the sky It cut down millions of trees and caused a boom that could be heard hundreds of miles away.
Inspired by the historical event and concerned about the threat these celestial bodies might pose to Earth, In 2014, a group of visionaries proposed the creation of a World Asteroid Day, among them Brian May.guitarist for the band Queen.
It was chosen in honor of the Tunguska Event, considered the largest of its kind in modern history. June 30 will be dedicated to raising awareness about asteroids and the importance of protecting our planet from potential impacts..
Hey Official recognition was confirmed by the United Nations General Assembly two years later.in 2016, and reinforced the global commitment to educate the public about asteroid hazards and promote research and development of detection and transmission technologies.
Click on the images to learn about the biggest influences in modern history
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Chicxulub 66 million years ago, an impact on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico created a crater about 180 kilometers in diameter, exterminating a large number of species on the planet, including dinosaurs. The asteroid that caused this collision was probably of the rocky type, rich in silicon and carbon compounds. Its diameter is estimated at 10 kilometers, and its path towards the surface takes place at an angle of approximately 60 degrees.
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Barringer hole About 50 thousand years ago, an asteroid about 50 meters long struck Arizona in the United States. With an estimated trajectory angle of between 40 and 50 degrees, the impact created a crater more than one kilometer in diameter and about 200 meters deep.
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Tunguska In 1908, a celestial body estimated to be about 100 meters in diameter collided with the atmosphere and exploded at an altitude of about 10 kilometers. Eyewitnesses reported a huge flash resulting from the explosion, sudden heat, and a shock wave that threw them backwards.
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Chelyabinsk In 2013, a rocky asteroid about 20 meters in diameter and with a mass of more than 10,000 tons hit the Earth's atmosphere. It generated a fireball and exploded about 20 kilometers above the Russian city of Chelyabinsk. The explosion released energy equivalent to about 30 atomic bombs.
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There are an estimated five million near-Earth objects larger than 20 meters, The limit exceeding which could cause damage to the Earth's surface. Entities like the European Space Agency are paying attention, however It's not always easy to spot..
Its diameter is 2310 meters. The asteroid (415029) 2011 UL21 that “visited” Earth on Thursday could be an example of this, as it was discovered just two weeks ago. From your passing.
After visiting (415029) 2011 UL21, and In an unusual phenomenon, Earth is preparing to receive a visit from 2024 MK, this Saturday, June 29th.just in time to “welcome” Asteroid Day.
Its size ranges from 120 to 260 meters. 2024 MK is considered large for a near-Earth object (NEO), as it will pass at a distance of 290 thousand kilometers from the Earth’s surface. – About 75% of the distance between the Earth and the Moon this will not be the case, but An asteroid of this size would cause significant damage if it collided with the planet.
Size is important for classifying an asteroid, but not only. – And perhaps not the most important. There are other variables to consider. When assessing the potential damage from the impact of this type of space object.
In addition to the characteristics of the asteroid, The path angle, the strength of the shock waves, and the topography of the impact are factors that determine the level of damage caused Due to the collision of these rocky elements with the Earth.
One variable to consider is Amount of kinetic energy transfer it to the surface of the earth. A huge amount of energy is released in the form of a shock wave with the impact. The strength of this shock wave will depend on the mass and speed at which the asteroid hits Earth, as well as the terrain affected.
predict asteroid day, The European Space Agency has compiled a video of the 10 largest craters visible from space. See it here:
For the past two decades, ESA's Planetary Defense Office has been detecting and analyzing potentially dangerous near-Earth objects under a series of operations. Projects dedicated to improving the ability to detect, track, and mitigate the presence of potentially dangerous asteroids. It is scheduled to be launched later this year Hera's mission It is part of the world's first asteroid deflection test.
Returning to the present, we add that Asteroid 2024 MK will pass at around 2:46 p.m. (in Lisbon) on Saturday. This is due to the combination of “size and proximity.” It will be visible in the skies of some regions of the world Using only a small telescope or some good binocularssuggests the European Space Agency.
Far from anticipating something similar to happen in the near future, take the opportunity to remember Impressive meteorite passage that flew over portugalon the night of May 18 to 19, he surprised, in “light bomb” style, many people who were recording (other) moments of an ordinary Saturday night, in Pictures shared on social media, along with some memes..
Click on the images to see some of the posts
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