Asteroids, comets, or meteors traveling in space are not rare. However, astronomers recently spotted an asteroid the size of a stadium passing by the Earth. The asteroid, named ‘2008 OS7’, passed very close to Earth on February 2. It was at a distance of 2.9 million kilometers from Earth, which is seven and a half times more than the distance between the moon and Earth. NASA’s ‘Deep Space Network’ planetary radar monitored the asteroid to gather information about its size, rotation, shape, and surface features. The asteroid was known about 16 years ago but was too distant to be imaged by the planetary system until it approached Earth.
According to the observations made on February 2, 2024 the asteroid is between 100-200 meters wide and has some rounded and some angular areas on its surface. It has a rotation speed that is quite low and orbits the sun once every 2 years and 6 months. The scientists analyzed the light curve of the asteroid to determine its size, rotation speed, and eating habits. They found that it takes 29 and a half hours to orbit.
Although the asteroid passed close to Earth, it was not likely to cause any damage to the planet. The event provided an opportunity for astronomers to gather detailed information about the asteroid by using a radio antenna.