Scientists have discovered a “planet killer” asteroid, but don’t panic

(NewsNation) — Scientists have identified the largest potentially dangerous asteroid discovered in eight years — capable of destroying the entire planet if it collided with Earth, one researcher said.

But since we are safe for many generations, this asteroid’s orbit is not its most noteworthy feature. “The interesting thing about 2022 AP7 is its relatively large size,” he said Christina Thomas, planetary astronomer at Northern Arizona University, who was not involved in the study.

The asteroid, called 2022 AP7, is 0.9 miles across and was found in a hard-to-reach region that is usually obscured by the Sun’s glare. according to the National Science Foundation (NSF).

The asteroid has an orbit that could eventually cross Earth’s path, according to a press release from NSF’s NOIRLab.

Scott C. Sheppard is an astronomer at the Carnegie Institution for Science’s Earth and Planetary Laboratory and lead author document describing this work. He described the asteroid to the New York Times as “the largest potentially hazardous asteroid discovered in the last eight years or so.”

It is one of three that scientists have described as “hiding” in the inner solar system. The orbits of the remaining two asteroids “remain safely fully within Earth’s orbit,” the release said.

According to a New York Times report, civilization should be safe for a few more generations.

The discovery was made with the help of Dark energy chamber installed on st Víctor M. Blanco 4-meter telescope in Cerro Talolo Inter-American Observatory in Chile, the release said.