ESA Identifies New Asteroid With Non-Zero Impact Possibility To Approach Earth In 2089

The European Space Agency (ESA) has recently added a new asteroid to its Risk List. According to the agency, the asteroid has a non-zero chance of colliding with Earth before the century ends.

The Risk List is an online catalog maintained by the ESA that features asteroids with non-zero impact probabilities.

The latest addition to the list is an asteroid known as 2020 FT3. As of this writing, the asteroid has been in the Risk List for 29 days. According to the ESA, this asteroid has an estimated diameter of about 262 feet, making it significantly longer than the wingspan of a Boeing 747 plane.

After studying the asteroid’s trajectory, the ESA learned it follows an Earth-crossing orbit, making it a member of the Apollo family of space rocks. Through further observations on the asteroid’s orbit, the ESA discovered that it has a slim chance of colliding with Earth on Aug. 5, 2089.

The ESA noted that the asteroid is moving at a velocity of almost 32,000 miles per hour. Given its size and speed, 2020 FT3 would cause a destructive impact event on Earth that could level a small city or town. Fortunately, although 2020 FT3 has a chance of hitting Earth in 2089, ESA noted that the odds of an impact event happening are pretty small.

The asteroid’s chances of colliding with Earth are determined by its trajectory. According to the agency, the asteroid’s chances of colliding with Earth before the century ends are one out of 25,641. Hopefully, factors in space, such as the gravitational pull of nearby planets, cause 2020 FT3 to fly farther away from Earth.