NASA Warns Of 2-Mile-Wide Planet-Killer Asteroid Headed For Earth

NASA warned that an asteroid capable of destroying the planet will have a near-collision with Earth in the next couple of years. According to the agency, the approaching object has been labeled as a potentially hazardous asteroid.

The dangerous asteroid has been identified by NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) as 1999 KW4, which is also known as 66391 Moshup. As noted by NASA, the asteroid was named after a giant from a Native American legend. According to the legend, Moshup lived near the coastal areas of New England and was responsible for numerous geological features in the region.

CNEOS reported that 1999 KW4 travels at an average speed of about 46,000 miles per hour. The agency estimated that the asteroid has a diameter of about 1.9 miles.

According to the agency, 1999 KW4 is an Aten asteroid. Like other Aten asteroids, 1999 KW4 follows an Earth-crossing path. This means its orbit intersects with that of Earth as the planet travels around the Sun. Due to the asteroid size and natural orbit, it has been labeled as potentially hazardous.

“Potentially Hazardous Asteroids are currently defined based on parameters that measure the asteroid’s potential to make threatening close approaches to the Earth,” CNEOS explained in a statement.

“Specifically, all asteroids with a minimum orbit intersection distance of 0.05 astronomical units or less and an absolute magnitude of 22.0 or less are considered [potentially hazardous asteroids],” the agency added.

Although 1999 KW4 is smaller than the asteroid that triggered the extinction of the dinosaurs 66 million years ago, the approaching space rock is still big enough to cause a major impact event on Earth.

Given its size and current velocity, an impact from 1999 KW4 would generate a blast wave that could travel to different parts of the globe. The resulting impact could also send massive clouds of gas and dust into the atmosphere and block out sunlight.

During the time of the dinosaurs, this event, known as nuclear winter, greatly contributed to the deaths of over 70 percent of all life on Earth.

According to CNEOS, the asteroid is expected to have a near collision with Earth on May 25, 2036. During this time, the asteroid will dangerously approach Earth from a distance of only 0.01553 astronomical units or roughly 1.4 million miles away.