This Sunday, an asteroid named (887) Alinda, measuring approximately 4.2 kilometers in diameter, will make a close approach to Earth, flying by at a distance of 7,630,000 miles. This distance marks the closest Alinda has come to our planet in a century.
Asteroids, remnants from the early solar system, vary in size from small rocks to large bodies. Alinda orbits the Sun every 3.89 years and is larger than 99% of known asteroids.
Despite its size, Alinda poses no threat, with a zero chance of collision. Public astronomy officer Jake Foster from the Royal Observatory Greenwich noted that if it were to collide with Earth, the impact would release energy equivalent to millions of nuclear bombs, causing widespread devastation.
Such large asteroids approach Earth approximately once per decade. Alinda is among the five largest asteroids expected to come within 15 million kilometers of Earth until 2200.
The next close encounter with Alinda is scheduled for January 25, 2087, traveling at a speed of 11.3 kilometers per second. While there are no immediate concerns, experts continue to develop planetary defense strategies to mitigate potential threats from asteroids.