There are millions of asteroids from which some of them are dangerous uniquely. PHOs (potentially hazardous objects) are objects close to the Earth and have an orbit that allows them to get very close to the planet. Additionally, it is massive enough that an impact would lead to catastrophic regional destruction. According to astronomers, between 37,000 and 78,000 tons of solar system debris reach Earth each year. Fortunately, they often fall in tiny fragments that burn up in the sky. The following are the top 10 most hazardous asteroids, which we would like to draw for your consideration.
Bennu has a 1 in 2,700 chance of hitting Earth in 2135.m
Bennu is one of the Apollo group’s most hazardous asteroids, found on September 11, 1999, by the LINEAR Project. On September 21, 2135, the asteroid Bennu has a one-in-two-thousand probability of crashing with Earth. But don’t worry, NASA plans to destroy it using nuclear bombs before it reaches here. Impact Hazard Scale is a potentially dangerous object categorized on the Sentry Risk Table with the second-highest cumulative rating. Bennu is around 54 million miles from Earth at the moment and circles the Sun.
Zephyr asteroid approached Earth in September 2010.
Zephyr is a stony asteroid that belongs to the Apollo group of hazardous asteroids and near-Earth objects. It has a diameter of around 2 kilometers and was discovered on April 11, 1999. It was named after the deity Zephyrus from Greek mythology. The asteroid came close to Earth at 0.2546 AU (38,100,000 km) in 2010 and 2021; it will come close to Earth again in 2032 and 2043.
Mithra is considered a near-Earth object.
Mithra is an unusual asteroid with a diameter of around 2 kilometers that is classed as a near-Earth object and a dangerous asteroid. It’s part of the Apollo group of asteroids, and it rotates very slowly. The minimal orbit intersection distance between a dangerous asteroid and Earth is 0.0463 AU (6,930,000 km), or 18 lunar lengths. It passed 0.0465 astronomical units (6,960,000 kilometers) away from Earth on August 14, 2000.
Florence is large enough to create serious damage.
Florence is an asteroid belonging to the Amor group and is composed of stony material. Approximately 5 kilometers in diameter, it is classified as a near-Earth object and represents a threat to the Earth. It circles the Sun at a 1.0–2.5 AU distance once every two years and four months (859 days). Florence is considered one of the hazardous asteroids because its minimum orbit intersection distance (MOID ≤ 0.05 AU) indicates that it can make close approaches to the Earth. And it is large enough to create serious damage.
Cuno is a rare-type asteroid.
Cuno is an uncommon and rare type as an asteroid of the Apollo group. It is classified as a near-Earth object and a potentially hazardous asteroid. It measures approximately 4 kilometers in diameter. Cuno Hoffmeister, a German astronomer, discovered it on June 5, 1959, at Boyden Observatory in Bloemfontein, South Africa, and it was subsequently named in his honor. During the 21st century, Cuno will come within 40 million kilometers of Earth six times. It made its closest approach to Earth on May 20, 2012, at a distance of 0.122 astronomical units (AU) (18,000,000 km).
Midas is a vestoid asteroid.
Midas is a type of asteroid called a vestoid. It is a near-Earth object and could be dangerous, having about 2 kilometers wide. On March 6, 1973, it was discovered in San Diego County, California, by American astronomer Charles Kowal. It was named after the Greek mythological king Midas.
Oljato is a distinctive asteroid and sizable near-Earth object.
Oljato is an extremely unique asteroid and a significant Apollo group near-Earth object. It is stony and approximately 2 kilometers in diameter. Oljato was discovered by an American astronomer. Immediately after its discovery, this near-Earth Apollo asteroid was missing for 32 years until being found and retrieved.
Toutatis approached Earth at a distance of around 18 lunar miles.
Toutatis is a rocky asteroid that rotates slowly. It is one of the Apollo and Alinda group’s most deadly asteroids, approximately 2.5 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered in 1989 at Caussols by French astronomer Christian Pollas and named Toutatis after a character from Celtic mythology. Toutatis came close to 18 lunar miles of Earth in December 2012. It will make another near encounter to the Earth in 2016, but it will not make another significant-close approach until 2069.
Geographos is a near-Earth object and PHO of the Apollo group.
Geographos is a highly elongated, stony asteroid that is a near-Earth object and may threaten the Apollo group. It has an average diameter of around 2.5 kilometers. Albert George Wilson and Rudolph Minkowski found it on September 14, 1951, at the Palomar Observatory in California, United States. The asteroid was named after the National Geographic Society. 5.0 Gm is the speed at which Geographos reached Earth in two centuries, which will not be surpassed until 2586.
2002 CE is one of the biggest possibly dangerous asteroids ever discovered.
The last asteroid that we would like to mention is 2002 CE. It is a stony asteroid of the Amor group, categorized as a near-Earth object and one of the hazardous asteroids. The asteroid was discovered on February 1, 2002, and has a diameter of around 3.1 kilometers. One of the biggest potentially dangerous asteroids currently known to exist is this one.
We hope our post will be helpful for those people who are interested in space and science.
