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A newly discovered asteroid may come dangerously close to Earth about 20 years from now, with a 1 in 600 chance that the space rock will smash directly into our planet, according to officials. NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office tweeted (Opens in a new tab).
While that’s an above-average risk level for a near-Earth asteroid, it’s still a “very small chance” of impact, NASA wrote — and the risk level is expected to decrease as clearer observations of the asteroid become available.
First discovered on February 27, asteroid 2023 DW is estimated to be about 165 feet (50 meters) in diameter, or roughly the length of an Olympic swimming pool. The asteroid is expected to approach Earth on February 14, 2046; As of March 8, The European Space Agency’s Near-Earth Object Coordination Center (Opens in a new tab) It predicts a 1 in 625 chance of a direct impact, though these odds are recalculated daily.
We’ve been tracking a new asteroid called 2023 DW that has a very small chance of impacting Earth in 2046. Often when new objects are first discovered, it takes several weeks of data to reduce uncertainties and adequately predict their orbits for years into the future. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/SaLC0AUSdPMarch 7, 2023
“Often when new objects are first discovered, it takes several weeks of data to reduce uncertainties and adequately predict their orbits years into the future,” NASA wrote on Twitter. Orbit analysts will continue to monitor asteroid 2023 DW and update forecasts as more data comes in.
A direct impact from such a rock wouldn’t be as catastrophic as a 7.5-mile-wide (12-kilometer) dinosaur-killing asteroid that crashed into Earth 66 million years ago. However, 2023 DW can cause massive damage if it lands near a major city or densely populated area. A meteor less than half the size of 2023 DW exploded over Chelyabinsk, Russia, in 2013, causing a shock wave that destroyed thousands of buildings and injured nearly 1,500 people.
While an impact with 2023 DW is highly unlikely, scientists are rapidly developing ways to protect Earth from potentially dangerous asteroids like this one. Last week, NASA scientists published four studies confirming that the agency’s Dual Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission successfully deflected a small asteroid after a spacecraft collided directly with it. Follow-up missions are underway to increase the effectiveness of this planetary defense technology.
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