Massive Asteroid Is Expected To Zoom Past Earth on Christmas Eve: NASA Shuts Down Rumors About Potential Threat To Earth
A massive 2.4 kilometer-wide asteroid will zoom past the Earth on Christmas Eve. The asteroid, known as 2003 SD220, will pass by our planet at a 6.7 million mile-distance, which is 28 times father than the moon.
At that distance, the asteroid will only be visible to professional and amateur astronomers using high-end telescopes. Its given distance will also allow the astronomers to capture optimal images of the asteroid, Gizmodo reported Monday.
Star Pulse wrote Wednesday that conspiracy theorists suggest the SD220 could potential cause deadly earthquakes and volcanic eruptions upon its visit.
However, experts have dismissed these rumors for lack of scientific proof.
Paul Chodas, manager of NASA's Near-Earth Object office, said in a previous statement that there has been no shred of evidence to prove that the asteroids or comets they are observing could potentially "impact Earth anytime in the foreseeable future."
"Again, there is no existing evidence that an asteroid or any other celestial object is on a trajectory that will impact Earth," said Chodas. "In fact, not a single one of the known objects has any credible chance of hitting our planet over the next century."
The Near-Earth Object office at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California consists of a group of astronomers and scientists that combs the sky for asteroids and other objects that could pose harm to Earth.
The SDD220 was first discovered by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and was classified as a "potential human-accessible target", Korea Times noted Wednesday.
The asteroid is currently moving at a speed of 17.5 miles per second. It has been described as something resembling a pickle.
NASA predicts the space rock to return at a near distance to Earth in 2008, but is not expected to pose any threat to the planet in the next two centuries.
