An asteroid just came shockingly close as it flew by Earth

[Mike Wehner]

• An asteroid sped past Earth before any scientists even knew it was there.
• The asteroid, which was estimated to be as large as 18 feet in width, passed within just 1,830 miles of our planet, making it the closest flyby without a collision ever recorded.
• The rock's relatively small size likely contributed to it flying "under the radar," to so speak.

Near-Earth asteroids are typically spotted well in advance of their closest approach to our planet. That's because space agencies and scientists around the world are regularly on the lookout for potentially hazardous space rocks that could pose a problem for us in the future.

Unfortunately, nobody saw the space rock now known as 2020 QG coming, and scientists only realized it flew by our planet hours after it had already passed. The rock zipped by at an incredibly close distance of roughly 1,830 miles, which makes it a record-breaker for the closest pass of Earth by an asteroid without actually hitting us. Wow.

Continue reading...

Today's Top Deals

1. Today’s top deals: NIOSH-tested KN95 face masks, Clorox wipes, Sony ANC headphones, $300 off the ultimate Roomba, more
2. The biggest Amazon device sale of 2020 has begun – here are the 10 best deals
3. Experts say more grocery hoarding is coming – stock up on these 5 things while you can

Trending Right Now:

1. If you see this bug, kill it
2. The CDC is especially worried about one state’s coronavirus death rate
3. Pay attention to these stimulus check dates to get all the money you’re owed

An asteroid just came shockingly close as it flew by Earth originally appeared on BGR.com on Tue, 18 Aug 2020 at 16:32:07 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Via BRG - Boy Genius Report