A massive celestial body is on its way to Earth in late December, according to NASA’s asteroid tracker. If it hits, it will cause much greater destruction than an atomic bomb. However, scientists also say that there is nothing to worry about.
However, the largest meteor event in history took place over Tunguska. Here is what we know about the Tunguska event and the celestial body that is the subject of our news…
Asteroid 2018 AH has a diameter of about 190 meters
On June 30, 1908, the largest ‘known’ meteor fell in the Tunguska region of Siberia. However, according to recent research, this celestial object named 2018 AH is estimated to be about 84 to 190 meters in diameter, similar to the Tunguska object. This shows that it will be much more powerful than a nuclear bomb.
According to the Jerusalem Post, the asteroid 2018 AH will pass near Earth on December 27. However, this object is unlikely to hit the planet. Because it is expected to pass 4.5 million kilometers away. To explain this with an example, even the distance between the Earth and the Moon is about 384,000 km.
By the way, 2018 AH has approached Earth before and has come much closer to us. In 2018, this object passed at a distance of 296,758 km from our planet. However, due to the darkness, it was not noticed. Since then, an asteroid of this size hasn’t come this close to Earth.
What happens if an object the size of 2018 AH hits the Earth?
Scientists predict what might happen as large celestial bodies hit the Earth before. Normally, it is quite difficult to predict because the sizes of these objects vary. But in 2013, a 17-metre asteroid over Russia exploded in the atmosphere. As a result of this event, more than 7 thousand buildings were damaged.
The latest event in Russia is rather small compared to 2018 AH. However, in 1908, a huge meteor fell into the Tunguska River in Russia. The meteorite that fell on Tunguska is estimated to be about the same size as 2018 AH. This object produced a massive 12-megaton explosion. It caused widespread destruction for thousands of kilometers.
The Tunguska meteorite is considered even more effective than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in World War II. However, due to the scattered and sparse settlement around Tunguska, only three people lost their lives in the incident. However, about 80 million trees in the area were razed to the ground.
2018 AH could cause something similar. However, as we said at the beginning, there is nothing to worry about. Meanwhile, any asteroid 140 meters in diameter or larger could potentially be catastrophic if it hits Earth, according to NASA.
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