(ORDO NEWS) — There is nothing to fear: an asteroid called 2021 GT2 will approach Earth at a distance of no more than 3.5 million km. This is about 10 times the average distance between the Earth and the Moon.
Astronomers first discovered the space rock last year and estimated its size to be between 37m and 83m wide.
While it appears to be quite large – one to three times the length of a blue whale – the asteroid is not large enough to be considered a potential hazard to Earth. It flies at a phenomenal speed of 26,000 km/h.
2021 GT2 is an Aten-class asteroid. This means that it revolves around the Sun closer than the Earth, and its orbital path intersects the orbit of our planet.
Astronomers are aware of more than 1,800 such asteroids, many of which are considered potentially dangerous.
After June 6, the next approach of 2021 GT2 to Earth will occur on January 26, 2034, when the asteroid will rush within 14.5 million km from our planet – significantly further than the upcoming approach.
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