On the evening of June 27, asteroid 2011 UL21, one of the ten largest in the centuryflew over the Earth without risk to our planet. With a diameter of 2.3 km, this space colossus passed 6.6 million kilometers away, 17 times the distance between the Earth and the Moon. Thanks to the robotic telescopes of the Virtual Telescope Project in Manciano, the event was broadcast live on the ANSA Science Channel, offering an extraordinary show.
A rare astronomical event
Asteroid 2011 UL21, discovered on October 17, 2011, by the Catalina Sky Survey, is larger than 99% of known near-Earth objects. Gianluca Masiastrophysicist and scientific director of the Virtual Telescope, underlined the importance of the event: “Thanks to the purity of the starry sky, free from light pollution, we will be able to photograph the asteroid”.
According to analyses by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS), the passage of 2011 UL21 is among the top ten largest to have occurred within 7.5 million kilometers of Earth since 1900.
Not just 2011 UL21: the arrival of 2024 MK
On June 29 at 3:46 p.m. ET, another spectacular asteroid, 2024 MK, will greet Earth. With a diameter of between 120 and 260 meters, this asteroid will pass just 290,000 kilometers from our planet, about 75% of the Earth-Moon distance. It will become one of the brightest objects ever seen in recent historypromising to fascinate all astronomy enthusiasts.
How do you feel about observing these giants of the sky? Share your thoughts in the comments!
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