At the weekend, during a routine sky scan, the Nasa-funded Catalina Sky Survey near Tucson, Arizona, identified the two objects.
The first asteroid, named 2010 RX30, measured approximately 65 feet (20 metres) in diameter and passed by Earth at a distance of 154,000 miles early on Wednesday at 9:51 am.
The second one, referred to as 2010 RF12, was about two-thirds the diameter of its larger counterpart and was projected to pass within just 49,088 miles of Earth a few hours later.
Although visible to many amateur astronomers, researchers from the space agency indicated that there was no danger posed by either asteroid.
Experts emphasized that this “double-whammy” serves as a reminder of other potentially dangerous objects expected to narrowly avoid Earth in the coming years.
Nasa approximates that asteroids smaller than 25 metres in diameter will disintegrate upon atmospheric entry, resulting in no harm.
Scientists noted that while encountering a single asteroid at such close proximity is common, witnessing two asteroids make such near passes in unison is quite rare. Statistics reveal that around 50 million NEOs (Near Earth Objects) pass by daily.
The significance of this particular occurrence was the close proximity of the two asteroids to Earth within hours of one another on the same day.
“This is the first instance we’ve observed (two) together within a 24-hour timeframe, possibly because our knowledge of what’s out there is still incomplete,” explained Lindley Johnson, program executive for Nasa’s Near-Earth Object program.
Donald Yeomans, another program manager tasked with detecting and tracking potentially hazardous asteroids and comets, mentioned that neither asteroid could be seen with the naked eye.
He further noted that both asteroids were observable with moderate-powered amateur telescopes when they were closest.
In July, Nasa specialists reported on an asteroid exceeding 600 yards in width, which carries a one-in-a-thousand probability of impacting Earth in 2182.
Such a collision could inflict more devastation than the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.
Before this, Apophis, a celestial body weighing 25 million tons, is expected to narrowly pass by our planet on three occasions.
The first of these near-misses is anticipated on the superstitious date of Friday the 13th in 2029.
“I consider this a shot across the bow by Mother Nature, warning Earth-based astronomers of the significant work that lies ahead,” Dr. Yeomans remarked.
by Robbo Green
