Asteroid 2021 VR, with a diameter nearly equal to the height of the Great Pyramid of Giza, will “visit” Earth during this month’s full moon.
2021 VR, an asteroid measuring 120 meters in diameter, will fly close to Earth on November 19, coinciding with the full moon. This asteroid travels at a speed of approximately 48,280 km/h, nearly 15 times faster than a bullet fired from a rifle. It will return to visit Earth on March 13, 2022.
Illustration of an asteroid flying near Earth. (Photo: 3000AD)
Accompanying 2021 VR is a smaller asteroid named 2021 VJ11, which has a diameter of 41 meters, slightly more than half the wingspan of a Boeing 747. On November 20, another, much larger asteroid will also pass close to Earth. This is asteroid 2016 JG12, with a diameter of 190 meters.
2021 VR will pass approximately 6 million kilometers from Earth. The smallest of the trio, 2021 VJ11, will be the closest to Earth, at just 2.6 million kilometers away. Meanwhile, 2016 JG12 will fly past Earth at a distance of 5.5 million kilometers.
All three asteroids are classified as Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) by NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) because their orbits come within about 193 million kilometers of Earth. CNEOS accurately tracks the orbits of asteroids and predicts their future movements, helping scientists know in advance when they will come close.
According to CNEOS, all three asteroids pose no risk of collision with Earth. However, NASA is also preparing protective measures for the planet in the future.
At the end of this month, a mission called the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) will launch. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket will send the DART spacecraft from its launch pad at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, USA. The spacecraft will collide with the 160-meter-diameter moon Dimorphos. The mission aims to test the capability of using spacecraft to deflect hazardous celestial bodies away from Earth.
