Asteroid 2014 DX110 just whizzed by us and you probably didn’t see, hear, or feel anything. These instances are actually very common
with the exception of size. 2014 DX110 is a much larger asteroid (180 meters wide) than what astronomers are used to, creating a unique opportunity of which we won’t get again until March 5, 2046. The last time an asteroid of this size came within the moons orbit of earth was in 1976. Astronomers were not as prepared and the asteroid was not recognized until after it passed by.
Asteroid 2014 DX110 completes its orbit every 1,192 days and comes as close as 0.83 AU to the sun and as far away as 3.6 AU. To give perspective, 1 AU is equal to the average distance between earth and the sun, roughly 93 million miles.
It’s been a busy time for NEO’s (Near Earth Object). On March 4, 2014 DU110 passed within 20 million kilometers of earth. When will the next one come pay us a visit? Near earth objects (NEO’s) are actually very common. In fact, 2 asteroids passed by earth (within the moons orbit) only 11 hours apart from each other in 2010. The Virtual Telescope is a great source of anything and everything related to NEO’s. For more detailed information from NASA on NEO’s, visit their Current Impact Risks page.
Being that Asteroid 2014 DX110 is roughly 180-meter wide, about the size of a city block, any impact with earth would deal great amounts of damage. However, this is very much unlikely. NASA has calculated the chances of 2014 DX110 striking earth on March 4, 2046 to be about 1 in 10 million.
Come back and visit our blog again soon. Asteroid 2014 CU13 is going to make a pass by, coming within about 3 million kilometers of earth on March 10, 2014. No hazards associated with this NEO, just another chance to see the universe do what it does best, amaze us.