The 2023 HO18 Imposing Asteroid is in Our Planet’s Vicinity

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Once again, NASA’s asteroid tracker has brought some bone-chilling news: an asteroid named 2023 HO18 made a close encounter with Earth on May 4. This celestial body is no small rock, as it could still do some damage if it ever collides with us—it measures as much as 28 sheep in diameter, according to The Jerusalem Post.

While this asteroid falls short of the colossal size necessary to wipe out all life on our planet, it remains a force to be reckoned with. A potential impact from 2023 HO18 could devastate a small town, making it clear that we are fortunate it passed by without incident. Fortunately, the rarity rating for this flyby was only one, signifying that there was no cause for alarm as it posed no danger of colliding with Earth.

True to its name, the 2023 HO18 asteroid was recently discovered this year by NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Alongside this asteroid, two other space rocks also passed by our planet on the same day, all without posing a threat to the safety of any of us.

Will there ever be another “Chicxulub” asteroid?

The extinction of dinosaurs, which occurred roughly 66 million years ago, happened due to the Chicxulub impact hypothesis. The theory suggests that a massive asteroid or comet, which is estimated to be about 6 miles (10 kilometers) in diameter, collided with our planet in what is now the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. This impact resulted in a colossal explosion, releasing an immense amount of energy and triggering devastating consequences. The sunlight was blocked for hundreds of years, which caused the demise of plants, and, therefore, of the dinosaurs, as there was no air to breathe anymore.

Many astronomers believe that another asteroid the size of Chicxulub will hit Earth again one day, but hopefully, that will only happen in the far future.

In the end, let’s take a moment to be grateful to the Universe that our planet is safe from dangerous space rocks.

 

Tommy’s hobby has always been playing video games. He enjoys competing in video games tournaments and writing about his experience. It’s not a big surprise that he mostly covers the latest trends from the gaming industry.