(ORDO NEWS) — American astronomers have discovered that the asteroid Phaeton, potentially threatening the Earth, began to rotate faster and faster.
The publication recalled that the approximate size of the asteroid is five kilometers, and its orbit “crosses the zones of Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars.”
At the same time, the American team of researchers found that the Phaeton began to rotate faster and faster and this “makes its behavior unpredictable.” However, it is not yet clear why the asteroid began to behave this way.
“There is one consolation: before 2050, he will not be next to us. In 2028, a Japanese probe will fly to it, ”the publication emphasized.
Earlier, the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration tested the protection of the Earth from potentially dangerous objects by colliding the American DART probe with the asteroid Dimorph.
In turn, the deputy head of the Chinese National Space Administration, Wu Yanhua, announced plans in the coming years to neutralize asteroids that pose a threat to the Earth.
He also announced his intention to develop a ground-based and space-based system that will inform in advance about dangerous objects.
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