Asteroid sneaks past satellites in one of the closest flybys on record [View all]

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From https://www.cnet.com/news/asteroid-sneaks-past-satellites-in-one-of-the-closest-flybys-on-record/

Asteroid sneaks past satellites in one of the closest flybys on record

No one saw it coming until it was right on top of us. More like above us, actually.

Eric Mack
May 5, 2020 10:19 a.m. PT

NASA/JPL
A previously unseen asteroid the size of a truck flew about 4,350 miles (7,000 kilometers) over the Pacific Ocean on Monday, making it one of the closest passes by our planet on record.

Astronomers had no notice of asteroid 2020 JJ's existence, as it was discovered using the Mt. Lemmon Survey in Arizona right around the time it reached its closest point to us.

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Had 2020 JJ actually struck Earth, most of it probably would have burned up in the atmosphere. In other words, this space rock wasn't any sort of existential threat, but it did fly closer than many of the satellites orbiting our planet and could have potentially struck one, creating a big mess.

Close asteroid passes like this aren't really anything worth worrying about, but it's always worth keeping an eye on what's going on near our planet. You can catch some interesting sights by watching the sky this week, like the Eta Aquarid meteor shower and the last supermoon of the year.

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