Asteroid 2021 SG, approaching the Earth, astronomers missed. They noticed him on September 17, 2021 – a day after the uninvited heavenly guest was at a minimum distance from our planet. Paul Chodas, director of NASA's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS), admitted this the other day.
Why did astronomers, called upon to stand, as they say, on guard and timely warn of the threat, go nuts? Because they did not see the asteroid. Yes, they could not see. Because the asteroid flew up from the direction of the Sun, from which telescopes “go blind”.
By the way, for the same reason, the Chelyabinsk meteorite, which crept up in 2013, was a complete surprise. And he flew in from the direction of the Sun.
Alas, humanity will remain completely defenseless – in the sense of detecting such near-Earth objects – at least until 2026. By this time, NASA plans to place an infrared space telescope NEO Surveyor in orbit, capable of “seeing” potentially dangerous asteroids from a distance of several tens of millions of kilometers – both day and night, and against the Sun. That is, another 5 years will have to hope for chance. While it was passing by.
As it is already known, the asteroid 2021 SG missed the Earth about 240 thousand kilometers from its surface – a little further than halfway to the Moon. Sheer minuscule, by astronomical standards. The object was moving at a speed of 86 thousand kilometers per hour – faster than the Chelyabinsk meteorite, which flew at a speed of 68 thousand kilometers per hour. At that moment – at 23 hours 28 minutes Moscow time, when the distance to our planet was minimal, the asteroid was over Canada. That is, he really threatened this territory.
Asteroid 2021 SG is not considered large. Its size is at least 42 meters, but no more than 94 meters, according to astronomers. Such a lump – even if it was the statue of liberty – would not suit global destruction. But it could cause very serious damage to local significance. From recent sensational studies, it follows that an asteroid of about the same size as the “Canadian”, which exploded in the atmosphere 3600 years ago, destroyed the sinful biblical cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, they were located in the Jordan Valley, where Tall el-Hammam is now located … Then, at least 8 thousand people died at once – mainly, according to the Holy Scripture, representatives of non-traditional sexual orientation. For Canadians, such a terrible fate has passed. Looks like they haven't sinned much yet.
BY THE WAY
Out of the blue as always
Astronomers missed the asteroid 2020 VT4 last year. The stone was small – just over 10 meters in size, but it swept only 380 kilometers from the surface of the Earth. Flew over the Pitcairn Islands, a British overseas territory in the South Pacific. Could shoot down the International Space Station (ISS), which flies at altitudes between 340 and 430 kilometers. But he didn't. Because the ISS, fortunately, at that moment was over the South Atlantic.
In 2018, astronomers spotted the 20-meter asteroid 2009 FH less than a day before the dangerous encounter. It flew just above the orbits of geostationary satellites.
In just two days, it was possible to make out the 40-meter asteroid 2008 DD45.
Detection so late seems senseless from a security standpoint. It leaves no chances even for the evacuation of the population from the area of the fall, if it – the fall – would really threaten. And launching any rockets capable of destroying an asteroid would hardly work. There wouldn't be enough time. Although in reality there are no such missiles yet.
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