In late November, a massive asteroid, designated (153201) 2000 WO107, will brush past Earth, presenting astronomers with a fair chance to study it.
The nearest approach to Earth will occur at 05:08 UTC on Nov. 29, measuring approximately 1.640 feet. It would travel at 11.19 times the distance of the Earth-Moon, which is considered by astronomers as a very safe distance.
The asteroid won't be visible to the eye, but it could be caught by people with small telescopes. Astronomers are planning to better detect this asteroid, partly because of its comparatively large scale and partly because 2000 WO107 's subsequent passes would be closer than this year's passes.
A fast-moving space rock, large asteroid 2000 WO107 moves through space at an incredible speed of 56,080 miles per hour or 25.07 km per second. By comparison, at just 17,336 miles per hour, 2020 SW swept past Earth.
By bouncing radar signals from its surface and then evaluating the signals that are reflected, astronomers get to study 2000 WO107. At the Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex in California, scheduled for Nov. 27 to Dec. 1, such observations are expected.
Asteroid radar observations result in images that demonstrate the shape of the asteroid. Watching the shapes of these great boulders or mountains hurtling through space is still a lot of fun. The 2000 WO107 observations could allow scientists to determine the composition of space rock, according to NASA / JPL. In the visible light portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, the asteroid may be metallic or maybe an optically dark rock.
2000 WO107 was discovered by the Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research project (Project LINEAR) astronomers in New Mexico in 2000. The NEOWISE space telescope operated by NASA has been able to observe it as well.
The asteroid will return after the Nov. 29 approach to Earth, passing slightly closer on every following flyby, first in November 2040 and then in November 2093. On Dec. 1, 2140, an even-closer flyby will occur as the asteroid will travel at around half the distance from the Earth-moon.
Asteroid 2000 WO107 has been identified as a potentially hazardous asteroid owing to its size and periodic relatively close flybys. No probability of impact was observed, however, as its orbit is well established.
While the nearest approach to Earth comes during a full moon, astronomers will also be able to see the asteroid passing in front of the stars, pointing a computerized telescope at the right position and time.
