International
Asteroid's sudden flyby shows blind spot in planetary threat detection
WASHINGTON — The discovery of an asteroid the size of a small shipping truck mere days before it passed Earth on Thursday (Jan 26), albeit one that posed no threat to humans, highlights a blind spot in our ability to predict those that could actually
Nasa for years has prioritised detecting asteroids much bigger and more existentially threatening than 2023 BU, the small space rock that streaked by 3540km from the Earth's surface, closer than some satellites. If bound for Earth, it would have been pulverised in the atmosphere, with only small fragments possibly reaching land.
But 2023 BU sits on the smaller end of a size group, asteroids five-to-50 metres in diameter, that also includes those as big as an Olympic swimming pool. Objects that size are difficult to detect until they wander much closer to Earth, complicating any efforts to brace for one that could impact a populated area.
Related
![[LANGSUNG] Keputusan Permohonan Semakan Kes SRC International Datuk Seri Najib Razak | 31 Mac 2023](https://phuketnews.easybranches.com/images/2023/03/450x250/10217069)
Ads
