Remember the meteorite in Chelyabinsk, Russia last year? The one that mostly burned up in the sky and then got avid candid footage through Russian dashcams? Well, there’s another one most likely headed for Earth – one that is potentially 1,000 times more powerful. The newly discovered 2014 UR116, or Yuri as I like to call it (that’s not official whatsoever, by the way), was discovered by an automatic telescope installed in the Caucasus Mountains, near the city of Kislovodsk. It’s estimated to be around 370 meters in diameter, so it ain’t no chump. Russian astronomers passed the info over to the Minor Planet Center of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, and they passed it on to other observatories. However, despite efforts, an exact preliminary orbit is impossible to calculate due to the asteroid changing course through gravitational pulls from nearby planets – specifically Venus and Mars. A bit of a lover’s quarrel between the Roman celestial couple, huh? The fireball in the sky caused by the Chelyabinsk meteorite was estimated to be about 300-500 kilotons of TNT. In comparison, Hiroshima’s devastation was caused by a 16 kiloton nuke. Yuri’s explosion, which at about 1,000 times stronger impact power, would be quite devastating to the Earth. Well, that’s the bad news. The good news however, is that, assuming that it is going to crash into us, we have another 6 years to go before that would be the case. Of course, scientists say, this can change. The telescope system that caught Yuri also noted it’s brethren, 2013 SW24 and 2013 UG1 – however, they’re practically chumps. Only 250 and 125 meters in diameter compared to Yuri’s 370. Well, actually, that’s not to much of a difference. But, things only get crazier when you take a look at some of the other meteorites that will come close to Earth, and potentially even crash onto us. Take, for example, 137108 1999 AN10, which is predicted to arrive here in August 7th 2027, boasting a formidable 945 meters in diameter. Or 1538142001 WN5, which may hit us in June 26th, 2028, at 495 meters. - See more at: ift.tt/1vHrrLz DatSyn News - Asteroid 1000 times more powerful than Chelyabinsk coming to Earth
Posted on: Wed, 05 Nov 2014 09:34:58 +0000
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