Scientists spot asteroid heading towards Earth
The asteroid, which is categorised as a “potentially hazardous objectâ€Â, will approach the Earth in mod-October but will not hit the planet.
Caption: The asteroid spotted by the Pan-STARRS telescope. A PS1SC photo
CAMBRIDGE (BNS): A “potentially hazardous asteroid” will approach the Earth in mod-October but will not hit the planet, scientists at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics have said.
The asteroid, about 150 feet in diameter and designated ‘2010 ST3’, was detected by the Panoramic Survey Telescope & Rapid Response System (Pan-STARRS) PS1 telescope on September 16 when it was about 20 million miles away.
This is the first “potentially hazardous object” (PHO) detected by the Pan-STARRS telescope, the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics said in a statement.
A PHO can cause devastation on a regional scale if it ever hits our planet. Such impacts are estimated to occur once every few thousand years.
The newly-detected asteroid, however, does not pose any threat to the Earth, the scientists said.
The asteroid, about 150 feet in diameter and designated ‘2010 ST3’, was detected by the Panoramic Survey Telescope & Rapid Response System (Pan-STARRS) PS1 telescope on September 16 when it was about 20 million miles away.
This is the first “potentially hazardous object” (PHO) detected by the Pan-STARRS telescope, the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics said in a statement.
A PHO can cause devastation on a regional scale if it ever hits our planet. Such impacts are estimated to occur once every few thousand years.
The newly-detected asteroid, however, does not pose any threat to the Earth, the scientists said.
