Asteroid 2021 KT1 Considered ‘Potentially Hazardous’ by NASA to Pass Near Earth on Tuesday
2021 KT1, a “potentially hazardous” asteroid is passing near the Earth on Tuesday (June 1), NASA has warned. The asteroid will make a close approach to the Earth at around 10:24am EDT (7:54pm IST). The gigantic rock would fly past our planet with a distance of around 4.5 million miles. Some other asteroids are also expected to zip past the Earth later this week. However, those would be significantly smaller than the 2021 KT1.
NASA has said on its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) website that the 2021 KT1 asteroid could be around 186 metres in size. This is twice as big as the Statue of Liberty, which is 93 metres in height.
Asteroid 2021 KT1 is fly passing the Earth
Photo Credit: NASA
The asteroid is not likely to hit the Earth as it would be 4.5 million miles away at the closest point. However, NASA considers any asteroid potentially hazardous when it comes within 4.6 million miles of the Earth and is larger than 150 metres.
There aren’t any references to confirm whether or not the asteroid would affect the Earth. Nonetheless, NASA says that people should not be overly concerned about a Near-Earth Object (NEO) such as an asteroid impacting the Earth. “The threat to any one person from auto accidents, disease, other natural disasters and a variety of other problems is much higher than the threat from NEOs,” the space agency noted on its Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) website.
Scientists, however, believe that chances of the Earth being impacted by NEOs over long periods of time are “not negligible” and thus NASA and other space agencies around the world actively monitor asteroid and comet moments.
In addition to the 2021 KT1, some smaller asteroids are passing near the Earth in the coming days. Those asteroids are expected to be of up to 21 metres in size.
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Earth’s most powerful ocean current is losing strength, with potential consequences for global ocean circulation. Scientists have projected that the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) could slow down by as much as 20 percent by 2050. The weakening of this current, which connects multiple oceans and regulates heat exchange, is being attributed to the increasing influx of cold meltwater from Antarctica. This shift in ocean dynamics could have far-reaching effects on sea levels, temperatures, and marine ecosystems worldwide.
Findings from Climate Modelling
According to a study published in Environmental Research Letters, a team led by Bishakhdatta Gayen, a fluid mechanist at the University of Melbourne, has analysed how Antarctic ice melt is affecting the ACC. Using one of Australia’s most advanced climate simulators, researchers modelled interactions between the ice sheet and ocean waters. The study indicates that the introduction of fresh, cold meltwater weakens the current by altering ocean density and reducing convection between surface and deep waters.
Consequences of a Slower Current
The slowdown of the ACC is expected to disrupt global ocean circulation. As convection weakens, warm water may travel further into Antarctic waters, accelerating ice melt and contributing to rising sea levels. The weakening current could also allow invasive species to reach the Antarctic coastline, affecting the region’s ecosystem.
Speaking to Live Science, Gayen compared the process to a “merry-go-round,” explaining that a slower current could lead to faster migration of marine organisms toward Antarctica. Long-term monitoring will be necessary to fully understand these changes, as scientists have only recently begun studying the ACC’s behaviour in detail. The impact of these shifts will not remain confined to Antarctica but will influence ocean circulation patterns across the planet.
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A new study has shed light on the orbital alignment of the well-known Wolf-Rayet 104 (WR 104) system, long considered a potential threat due to its speculated gamma-ray burst (GRB) risk. Observations conducted using multiple instruments at the W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaiʻi have confirmed that the star system‘s orbit is tilted 30 to 40 degrees away from Earth. This discovery significantly reduces concerns that a supernova from WR 104 could direct a GRB toward the planet.
Study Confirms Orbital Tilt
According to research published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, WR 104 comprises two massive stars locked in an eight-month orbital cycle. The system features a Wolf-Rayet star emitting a strong carbon-rich wind and an OB star producing a hydrogen-dominated stellar wind. Their collision generates a distinctive dust spiral that glows in infrared light.
The structure was first observed in 1999 at the Keck Observatory, and early models suggested that the pinwheel-like dust formation was face-on from Earth’s perspective. This led to speculation that the rotational axis of the stars—and potentially a GRB—could be aimed directly at Earth. However, new spectroscopic data contradicts this assumption.
Unexpected Findings Challenge Previous Models
Reportedly, Grant Hill, Instrument Scientist and astronomer, stated, that their view of the pinwheel dust spiral from Earth absolutely looked face-on and it seemed like a pretty safe assumption that the two stars are orbiting the same way. However, his analysis revealed a surprising discrepancy, with the stellar orbit misaligned from the dust structure.
This unexpected finding raises new questions about how the dust plume forms and whether additional factors influence its shape. While the discovery brings relief regarding potential GRB risks, it also suggests there is still much to understand about WR 104’s unique characteristics
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