Global space organizations report that an asteroid whizzed past our planet at a closer range than many orbiting satellites, yet it remained undetected until several hours afterward.
The European Space Agency declared on Monday that a space rock, measuring from 3 to 10 feet across, was identified via radar last Wednesday around 265 miles above the Antarctic region, close to the planet’s southernmost point, at a height comparable to that of the International Space Station.
“Locating a meter-sized object amidst the immense void of space, particularly when its position is initially uncertain, is truly a remarkable achievement,” the ESA, based in France with branch locations across Europe, stated on their webpage.
According to NASA, experts at the ESA’s planetary defense division failed to observe the asteroid, known as 2025 TF, until a few hours following its flyby.
“This finding assisted astronomers in precisely calculating the close approach distance and timing mentioned previously,” European representatives mentioned.
Typically, artificial satellites maintain orbits ranging from 100 to 1,000 miles or further above the Earth.
The diminutive space object posed no significant threat to our world, European space authorities added.
However, it possessed the potential to transform into a bright meteor if it penetrated Earth’s atmosphere and evolved into a meteorite.
A previous incident in 2023 involved one of the closest documented approaches by an object near Earth.
Last summer, the U.S. space agency also announced that a substantial asteroid presented a slightly more than 4% likelihood of impacting the Moon before the close of 2032.
Nevertheless, NASA officials confirmed this week that asteroid 2025 TF is unlikely to pass near Earth until possibly April of 2087, approximately 62 years into the future.
Sourse: www.upi.com
