The 40-meter asteroid is twice the size of the space rock that slammed into the atmosphere over Russia in 2013, about the size of a football field, and will approach Earth in September.
Earth has about a 1 in 7,000 chance of landing an unwanted alien visitor. Its name is: 2006 QV89.
This space rock is expected to approach our planet on September 9, 2019, according to the European Space Agency (ESA) list of space objects that could collide with Earth. This list of NEOs ( Near Eart h Object) was updated on June 6 and , of the 10 objects on the list, the 2006 QV89 is now in fourth place (remember that a few months ago, the same object was in position seven and the odds of an impact occurring were 1 in 11,428).
Compared to the 10-kilometer-diameter asteroid that killed non-avian dinosaurs some 66 million years ago, 2006 QV89 is quite small, “only” measuring 40 meters in diameter. But it is not a size to underestimate, of course.
Will it collide with the Earth?
ESA is monitoring the asteroid’s path, but the space rock is unlikely to drift towards Earth and collide with us. According to the ESA model, the 2006 QV89 is likely to be within 6.7 million kilometers of the planet. To put it in perspective given the numbers, the Moon is 384,400 km away from us.
Be that as it may, there is exactly a 1 in 7,299 chance that 2006 QV89 will reach the planet, according to ESA.
As its name suggests, asteroid 2006 QV89 was discovered on August 29, 2006; It was identified by the Catalina Sky Survey , an organization based at an observatory near Tucson, Arizona. The asteroid is actually a fairly frequent visitor to our planet. After its 2019 flyby, the object is expected to swoop down Earth in the coming years as well: in 2032, 2045 and also in 2062, ESA reports.
Top10 objects with danger of collision with the Earth
1. 2010RF12 : 9 meters in diameter. The range of greatest danger of collision occurs between the years: 2095-2117
2. 1979XB: 900 meters in diameter. The range of highest risk of collision occurs between the years: 2056-2113
3. 2019DS1: 30 meters in diameter. The range of greatest danger of collision occurs between the years: 2082-2108
4. 2006QV89: 40 meters in diameter. The range of highest risk of collision occurs between the years: 2019-2117
5. 2000SG344: 50 meters in diameter. The range of greatest danger of collision occurs between the years: 2062-2116
6. 99942 Apophis : 375 meters in diameter. The range of greatest danger of collision occurs between the years: 2068-2116
7. 2009JF1: 16 meters in diameter. The range of highest risk of collision occurs in: 2022
8. 2008UB7: 70 meters in diameter. The range of highest risk of collision occurs between the years: 2044-2112
9. 2006JY26: 9 meters in diameter. The range of greatest danger of collision occurs between the years: 2073-2116
10. 2008JL3 : 40 meters in diameter. The range of highest risk of collision occurs between the years: 2024-2116.
Special risk list
1. 29075 1950DA : 2000 meters in diameter. Impact date: More than 100 years.
2. 410777 2009FD : 150 meters in diameter. Impact date: More than 100 years.
3. 101955 Bennu : 484 meters in diameter. Impact date: More than 100 years.
As we can see, at the top of ESA’s list of risks is the asteroid 2010 RF12. According to data from the space agency, this asteroid is expected to approach Earth on September 23, 2022 from a distance of 0.06847 astronomical units or approximately 103 million kilometers away.
Although the asteroid will be a long way from the planet when it approaches in 2022, Earth’s inhabitants in the year 2095 might not be so lucky. According to ESA, the asteroid has a 1 in 16 chance of hitting Earth during this time.
Currently, there are around 870 asteroids that ESA is closely monitoring through its Risk List. The ESA website to follow the updates of these NEOs is this: Risk Page.
Reference: ESA
