The “killer planet” asteroid the size of Everest wanders in… Earth’s backyard (video)

A huge asteroid, what scientists call the “killer planet,” will approach Earth on June 27, and if it deflects and falls on our planet, the consequences will be incalculable.

Space rocks of this size cause planetary-scale destruction. A massive asteroid that collided with Earth 66 million years ago is, according to the prevailing theory, responsible for the extinction of 80% of life on the planet, with dinosaurs taking over for the first time in about 150 million years and their absence paving the way for the dominance of mammals and other living organisms. And finally, the emergence of man.

The space rock, 2011 UL21, is roughly the size of Mount Everest, making it one of the largest “potentially hazardous asteroids” to pass by our planet in the past 125 years. 2011 UL21 is scheduled to reach a distance of about 6.5 million kilometers from Earth on June 27, its closest approach in 110 years, as the asteroid orbits the sun approximately every 1,130 days.

When will we see him?

Even amateurs might be able to spot the massive space rock with a relatively good telescope on June 28 and 29, when experts say it will be at its brightest in the sky. The asteroid’s visit will be broadcast live. here.

“This asteroid is 99 percent larger than all known near-Earth objects. However, it will not come close to Earth. At its closest approach on June 27, it will still be more than 17 times farther from the Moon,” the European Space Agency said in a statement. .

Asteroid hunters have identified more than 27,000 “hidden” space rocks, some of which pass “dangerously” close to Earth. The asteroid is scheduled to return to Earth in 2089, when it will approach our planet at a distance of about three million kilometers.

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