Amid the ongoing Corona Virus Disease (CoViD-19) scare a new scare as engulfed the people. This new scare crops up from a news that first appeared on Daily Express & suggested that on April 29, the world is going to end as an asteroid as big as the Himalayas is going to hit the planet.
The Claim
Some Facebook users posted a video clip about an asteroid approaching the Earth. The caption reads that the world will come to an end on April 29. This was then shared by a lot of people, which created a panic.
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});The news first appeared on Daily Express with the headline – Asteroid warning: NASA tracks a 4KM asteroid approach – Could end civilisation if it hits. People started believing that this asteroid will cause an end of the world.
FACT CHECK
NASA is continuously monitoring the trajectory speed, and distance of this asteroid 52768 (1998 OR2) along with many others. NASA discovered this asteroid in 1998, and since then it has been observing its movements.
The twitter account of NASA Asteroid Watch has tweeted that On April 29, asteroid 1998 OR2 will safely pass Earth by 3.9 million miles/6.2 million km. A @Daily_Express article implying there is a \”warning\” about this asteroid is false.
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});On April 29. asteroid 1998 OR2 will safely pass Earth by 3.9 million miles/6.2 million km. A @Daily_Express article implying there is a \”warning\” about this asteroid is false. A complete listing of all asteroid passes is always public at https://t.co/i6i8HwCDJq. Carry on!
— NASA Asteroid Watch (@AsteroidWatch) March 4, 2020
This asteroid (asteroid 52768 (1998 OR2)), with an estimated diameter of 1.8 km to 4.1 km, will fly past Earth from an estimated distance of 3.9 million miles at an estimated speed of around 20000 miles per hour. This means that it will come no closer to earth than about 16 times the distance between the Earth and Moon.
