'Planet killer' asteroid to soon cross Earth's orbit, but poses no threat

A large "planet-killer" asteroid is expected to pass close to Earth's orbit, but it poses no threat. Asteroid 436774 (2012 KY3), also known as 2012 KY3, will pass Earth on April 13 at a distance of 4,784,139 kilometres on its way around the Sun.

2012 KY3, a Near-Earth Object (NEO), is about half a kilometre to slightly more than a kilometre in size.

An asteroid is classified as a Near-Earth Object (NEO) if its distance from our planet is less than 1.3 times the distance between Earth and the Sun (the Earth-Sun distance is approximately 93 million miles), according to the Nasa Joint Propulsion Laboratory.

No threat to the Earth

Asteroids larger than a kilometre in width have the ability to survive entry into Earth's thick atmosphere, classifying them as planet killer objects. However, 2012 KY3 will pose no threat to Earth as it will pass by at a distance of over 4.7 million kilometres.

When will 2012 KY3 appear next?

Although the asteroid was discovered in 2012, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory has been tracking its movement since 1904. The last time this asteroid came close to Earth was in January 2019, when it was 68,288,436 kilometres away. The next time it comes this close to Earth will be in 2025.

The asteroid has a four-year orbit around the Sun.

What if an asteroid collides with the Earth?

While this asteroid will pass by Earth safely, scientists have developed the ability to divert an asteroid if it is on a collision course with Earth. The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART), which slammed into an asteroid to slightly divert it from its path and change its orbit, was recently tested by Nasa.

DART was the first space mission to demonstrate the deflection of an asteroid by a kinetic impactor.