A gigantic asteroid will fly over the Earth during the Holidays
Asteroid collisions happen only once very 100000 years
by Lea NakacheA gigantic asteroid will pass close to the Earth a few days before Christmas, according to NASA.
The space object - which answers to the name of 216258 (2006 WH1) - is being tracked by NASA’s Centre for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS).
The object has been designated an Apollo asteroid - which means its orbit intersects with Earth as we orbit the Sun.
The space agency said it is one of the biggest asteroids in sight this year, the Daily Star reported.
The rock is taller than the Empire State Building, which means it has been classed a ‘potentially hazardous asteroid’ (PHA).
If an asteroid is bigger than 35 meters, it is then considered a threat to towns and cities and could also trigger massive tsunamis, should it hit the ocean.
However, the risk of 216258 (2006 WH1) crashing to Earth is minimal, as it will follow a course 3.6million miles from the Earth’s core.
Major asteroid collisions only happen once every 100,000 years on average, almost guaranteeing humanity a spatial catastrophy-free Christmas 2019.