Astronomers have discovered a 50m-diameter asteroid that could crash into Earth on Valentine's Day

The 50-metre asteroid 2023 DW may be giving our planet a gift for Valentine's Day. And the celestial body was discovered about a month ago.

Here's What We Know

Not long ago, our planet was relatively safe. The danger of collision with any cosmic body was zero. 2023 DW is currently the only asteroid with a danger level other than zero.

Scientists have assigned 2023 DW a degree 1 hazard. The European Space Agency (ESA) estimates the probability of collision as 1 in 625. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is less optimistic - 1 in 560. At the same time, all the asteroids that were given a 1st degree of hazard have eventually moved into the zero degree category.

This happened after scientists refined their trajectories as they observed the objects. In the case of 2023 DW, there is still time. According to preliminary calculations, the asteroid will first come close to Earth on February 14, 2046. On this day it will approach our planet at 1.8 million km. If the calculations are wrong, the trajectory may cross the Earth. If this does not happen, it will have nine more chances to crash into our planet before 2054.

The 2023 DW is now 18 million kilometres away. It orbits the Sun with a period of 271 days at a speed of 25km/s. If, over time, scientists determine that the asteroid will crash into Earth, NASA may use the DART probe to change the trajectory of 2023 DW. It has already demonstrated its effectiveness in 2022. In September, the kamikaze probe crashed into the asteroid Dimorphos, which is 11 million away and poses no threat to Earth.

Source: CNN