We should learn to cherish everyday the little moments that make us satisfied with our lives. Having the right for medical care, to be respected, to own a car, a WiFi router, a good job, or even a home are things that everyone needs. But what if all of these would be taken from us in a split of a second? A huge asteroid could do all that, as it did for the dinosaurs 60 million years ago.
While we’re pretty sure that dinosaurs didn’t invent cars, the internet, and others, they were still the predominant species on Earth. They got exterminated by the Chicxulub impactor, an asteroid or comet measuring about 11 to 81 kilometers (6.8 to 50.3 miles) in diameter. But a new large asteroid is expected to arrive near Earth on Saturday, June 6.
No need to worry
The large asteroid is 2002 NN4, and NASA’s JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory) tells us that it has an estimated diameter of 250-570 meters (820-1,870 feet). The Empire State Building measures over 1,400 feet tall at its tip. There’s no need to worry about this huge rock, although it would create some significant damage if it hits Earth. Asteroid 2002 NN4 will fly past Earth at a safe distance.
J. O’Neill from NASA’s JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory) confirms it by saying:
In short, 2002 NN4 is a very well-known asteroid with a known orbit that will pass Earth at a (very) safe distance,
While we are safe from the 2002 NN4 asteroid, many scientists believe that it’s only a matter of time until a Chicxulub 2.0 event can repeat itself. But hopefully, humanity will be advanced enough technologically to not remain helpless in the front of disaster. Colonizing other planets until that day or at least learning to destroy or deflect large cosmic objects that are threatening the Earth could become something usual for humanity.
