A giant “planet-killing” asteroid will fly very close to Earth on June 27 at a speed of about 58,000 mph (93,000 km/h). The “potentially hazardous” object, the size of a mountain, represents one of the largest space rocks to come close to Earth in more than a century – and you can witness the close encounter live.
The asteroid, known as 2011 UL21, is classified as a near-Earth asteroid, meaning it occasionally orbits within 1.3 astronomical units (AU) of the sun, or 1.3 times the average distance between Earth and the Sun. It completes one orbit outside our star every three years. According to SpaceReference.org, based on previous observations, it is estimated to be between 1.1 and 2.4 miles (1.7-39 km) in diameter, the largest near-Earth asteroid designated by the European Space Agency (ESA) from 99%.
2011 UL21 is at least ten times smaller than the largest space rock to hit Earth, the Vredefort asteroid, and about five times smaller than the asteroid that caused the extinction of the dinosaurs about 66 million years ago.
Although its size is smaller compared to historical impactors, UL21 2011 is still classified as “potentially hazardous” due to its potential to cause widespread damage. It has the potential to release enough waste into the atmosphere to cause damage on a continental scale and cause climate change.
On June 27, 2011, UL21 will pass at a distance of about 4.1 million miles (6.6 million km), closer than it has been in at least 110 years, according to simulations by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). At this close, NASA classifies it as a dangerous object, even though it is about 17 times farther from Earth than the Moon.
Although 2011 UL21 is not currently a threat to Earth, it is famous for being one of the largest asteroids to come within 4.7 million miles (7.5 million km) of our planet since 1900, as noted by astrophysicist and director Gianluca Masi. Virtual Telescope Project (VTP).
You can watch the closest approach of 2011 UL21 via a free live stream provided by VTP from the Bellatrix Astronomical Observatory in Seccano, Italy. The live broadcast starts at 4 pm. ET on June 27, with closest approach expected in about 15 minutes.
For a good telescope, the asteroid will be visible from the Northern Hemisphere on June 28 and June 29 under the best conditions. At its peak brightness, VTP notes, it will be as bright as Proxima Centauri, the closest star to the Sun.
2011 UL21 will come within 1.7 million miles (2.7 million km) of our planet and won’t approach Earth until 2089, according to JPL simulations.
A certain “planet killer” asteroid is unlikely to collide with Earth in the next 1,000 years. However, close encounters with small asteroids are expected in the coming years, such as asteroid Apophis, which can destroy a city and is closer to Earth than several satellites in 2029.
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