A security camera captured the moment when a meteorite falls and explodes over the city of Pilsen in the Czech Republic. According to the first report from the authorities, there were no injuries after the phenomenon. However, some fragments of the meteorite did fall in some areas of the city, although no injuries have been ruled out.
In the video that has gone viral, the meteorite is falling at high speed, and just when it seems that it is about to hit the ground, it explodes. At the same time, thousands of people pointed out on social networks that the meteorite could also be seen crossing the sky around eleven o’clock at night in other cities of the country, such as the capital, Prague.
In meteor-related matters, and as if it were something out of a movie, an asteroid could fall on Earth exactly on February 14. It’s no joke! It has come to light that, just a few months ago, researchers realized that the possibility is real and things could get complicated right on Valentine’s Day. NASA’s confirmation is real!
The probable date for the impact of the asteroid called 2023 DW is February 14, 2046. It would seem far away, but, the truth is, not that far. The asteroid was discovered last February 26, according to a report from the European Space Agency. Now, the asteroid has been added to the Hazard List.
What is the Hazard List? Well, the Hazard List is officially a catalog of space objects that could potentially impact the Earth.
According to information from several space agencies, including NASA, the Valentine’s Day asteroid has been placed at the top of that list.
What Will Happen to the Earth When the Asteroid Hits?
On the famous Torino scale, the asteroid is a category 1. Experts say the good news is that this does not represent a “not unusual level of danger.” If that’s good news for those in the know, we’ll have to take their word for it.
The asteroid is 50 meters in diameter, which is exactly the same as an Olympic-size swimming pool, so we’d better start measuring! However, the researchers also point out that the uncertainty about the real size could be very large, so be prepared!
What Are the Odds of the Asteroid Hitting Earth?
Well, let’s go with the numbers. The European Space Agency says the asteroid has a 1 in 607 chance of hitting Earth. Although researchers argue that this probability is very low, the figure is there to take precautions.
Recall that the first estimated date is February 14, 2046. That means that we have a little more than two decades to get prepared. However, according to estimates, February 14, 2047, to 2051 are also probable dates. So it’s a must for Valentine’s Day.
NASA, through its Planetary Coordination Defense, also says the probability of the asteroid impacting Earth is very low. “We have tracked a new asteroid called 2023 DW that has a very low probability of impacting Earth in 2046. Sometimes when new objects are discovered, it takes several weeks to gather information to reduce the uncertainty and correctly predict their orbits.”
The astronomer, Piero Sicoli, says that for him the chances are a little higher. The date for the expert is the same: February 14, 2046. Nevertheless, Sicoli is confident that in the coming months, it will be concluded that there will be no impact at all. We’ll see!
Story written in Spanish by Miguel Fernández in Cultura Colectiva News
