Watch This Asteroid Not Hit Earth
Earlier today the near-Earth asteroid 2013 NJ sailed by, coming as close as 2.5 lunar distances — about 960,000 km/596,500 miles. That’s a relatively close call, in astronomical terms, but still decidedly a miss (if you hadn’t already noticed.) Which is a good thing since 2013 NJ is estimated to be anywhere from 120–260 meters wide (400-850 feet) and would have caused no small amount of damage had its path intersected ours more intimately.
Luckily that wasn’t the case, and instead we get watch 2013 NJ as it harmlessly passes by in the video above, made from images captured by “shadow chaser” Jonathan Bradshaw from his observatory in Queensland, Australia. Nice work, Jonathan!
Keep tabs on known near-Earth objects on the JPL close pass page here.
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