Asteroid 2020 KT4, which is part of the Apollo group of Near-Earth Asteroids, is set to pass Earth today at a distance of around 5.1 million kilometers. This space rock is currently hurtling towards our planet at a staggering speed of 26,197 kilometers per hour, surpassing even the velocity of Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs). The Apollo group of asteroids, to which it belongs, consists of Earth-crossing space rocks with semi-major axes larger than Earth’s. These asteroids were named after the massive 1862 Apollo asteroid, which was discovered by German astronomer Karl Reinmuth in the 1930s.
Interestingly, this is not the first encounter between Asteroid 2020 KT4 and Earth. It previously passed by our planet on October 4, 1906, at a distance of approximately 72 million kilometers. Following today’s close approach, it will make another pass at a distance of 59 million kilometers on July 8, 2024, according to NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS).
How big is it?
Asteroid 2020 KT4 is nearly the size of a massive aircraft, measuring approximately 250 feet in width. However, it has not been categorized as a Potentially Hazardous Object and poses no threat to Earth.
The discovery of the secret ingredient of life in asteroids
Did you know that asteroids, despite their potential danger to Earth, may also hold the secret ingredient for life? It’s truly remarkable. A recent study conducted by the WA-Organic and Isotope Geochemistry Centre (WA-OIGC) in Australia has successfully identified and extracted polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from samples of the Ryugu asteroid and Murchison meteorite. According to a report from Curtin University, PAHs are believed to form in the cold regions of space between stars, contrary to the previous assumption that they primarily originate in hot regions near stars.
Dr. Alex Holman, a co-author of the study from WA-OIGC, stated, “This research provides us with valuable insights into the formation of organic compounds beyond Earth and their origins in space. Through the utilization of advanced techniques and innovative experiments, we have demonstrated that certain PAHs can indeed be formed in the cold expanse of space.”