In the distant past, the Solar System was plagued by impacts and collisions. Millions of rock objects moved chaotically through the system, colliding with each other in cascades of collisions. Over time, many of them ended up being part of the rocky planets. What remains of the space rocks is mainly concentrated in the main asteroid belt.
But some hide in places that are difficult to observe. Unfortunately for life on Earth, some of the hardest to detect are close to us. Are hidden by the sun’s glare and they are uncomfortably close to our earthly home.
A scientist at the Carnegie Institute for Science has discovered a new asteroid in our vicinity. Is called 2025 SC79 and is the newest member of the Atira asteroid group. These are near-Earth asteroids with orbits completely within Earth’s orbit. The Atiras are the smallest group of near-Earth objects, and 2025 SC79 is the 39th member, reports Science Alert.
This pair of images shows the near-Earth asteroid 2025 SC79 moving through space (Scott S. Sheppard).These objects are difficult to detect because their low light is obscured by the intense glare of the Sun. This new space rock is only the second known object with an orbit completely within the orbit of Venus. It also crosses the orbit of Mercury and completes one revolution around the Sun in just 128 days.
It has a diameter of 700 meters
Carnegie Science astronomer Scott S. Sheppard discovered the asteroid on September 27 with the Dark Energy Camera on the National Science Foundation’s Blanco 4-meter telescope. This telescope looks for killer asteroids, and 2025 SC79 certainly fits the bill. 2025 SC79 has a diameter of approximately 700 metros.
Although small compared to the Chicxulub impact that wiped out the dinosaurs, an asteroid that size would cause a catastrophic impact on a continental scale. Depending on where it hit, could kill billions of people and animals, indica Science Alert.
The sighting was later confirmed with two other telescopes: the NSF’s Gemini Telescope and Carnegie Science’s Magellan Telescope.
There’s a lot more to learn about 2025 SC79, but that will have to wait. It will disappear behind the Sun for a few months. Once it reappears, astronomers will examine it for more detailed information. Its composition is an important question, since it survives exposure to intense solar heat.
Later observations could also shed light on the asteroid’s origin. It may have broken away from the main asteroid belt somehow and then been captured by the Sun, he says Science Alert.
The Atira asteroids orbit entirely within the Earth’s orbit (Solar Observatory).«Many of the Solar System’s asteroids inhabit one of the two space rock belts, but perturbations can send objects into closer orbits where they may be more difficult to detect,» Sheppard concluded.
«Understanding how they got to these places can help us protect our planet and also learn more about the history of the Solar System.»
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