The US space agency (NASA) has reported that it has detected a new asteroid, which it has named 2023 DWwhich is the size of the famous Tower of Pisa and which could fall to Earth in 2046. The first calculations point to a date: February 14, Valentine’s Day.
The new asteroid was discovered on February 26 at the observatory in Atacama, Chile. has a diameter of approximately 50 meters and has a one in 560 chance of impacting on February 14, 2046. However, it is not yet known where on Earth it would hit.
We have been tracking a new asteroid called 2023 DW that has a very small probability of hitting Earth in 2046. Often when new objects are first discovered, several weeks of data are needed to reduce uncertainties and adequately predict their orbits in the future. . (1/2) pic.twitter.com/SaLC0AUSdP
— NASA Asteroid Watch (@AsteroidWatch) March 7, 2023
«Several weeks of data are needed to reduce uncertainties and adequately predict their orbits years into the future,» request the NASA report.
International media warned that the probability of impact against Earth has changed in the last week. On March 1, an Italian astronomer shared with NASA that the chance was one in 12,000, but the chances increased a day later from one in 710, and are now one in 560. According to NASA, this chance is, moment, baby
risk list
The asteroid 2023 DW is currently at the top of its List of Risks of the Sentry monitoring system with a 1 on the Torino scale, which means that for the moment It is not a cause for concern.
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«Orbital analysts will continue to monitor asteroid 2023 DW and update predictions as more data is received,» NASA said on its Twitter account. The US agency will alert the public if asteroid 2023 DW reaches 3 on the Torino scale.
A collision of DW 2023 with Earth would be comparable to the Tunguska fireball event, an asteroid 50 meters in diameter that impacted 114 years ago in a Siberian forest, destroying some 80 million trees.
… the probability is very small, and could be reduced more to the extent that they have more data.
— Joan Anton Català Amigó (@estelsiplanetes) March 9, 2023