June 28, 2024 The National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT) released images of asteroid 2011 UL21 as it approached Earth. On the afternoon of June 27, 2024,
The asteroid is approaching Earth
Asteroid 2011 UL21 is pictured as it passes close to Earth, at a distance of 6 million kilometers, from the NARIT robotic telescope at Springbrook Observatory, Australia, on June 27, 2024, at 3:22 p.m. Thailand time.
The well-known asteroid is 2011 UL21, 415029.
Asteroid 2011 UL21, also known as 415029, is a member of the Apollo asteroid family whose orbit crosses Earth's. The asteroid is between 1.7 and 3.9 kilometers in diameter, or about the size of Mount Everest. Therefore, it is classified as a PHA (Potentially Hazardous Asteroid) or an asteroid that could pose a risk to Earth.
This asteroid poses a danger to the world?
However, although 2011 UL21 is classified as a PHA asteroid, during its closest approach to Earth, it is up to 6 million kilometers from our planet, or nearly 15 times the distance from Earth to the Moon. Therefore, there is a very small possibility that the asteroid will cause damage to our planet.
An animated image showing the location of the small star. While moving against the stars in the background which is created by combining dozens of still images together. This is because asteroids move across the sky at very high speeds. As a result, a short white line appears in each image after an 8-second exposure.