Seeing back the dangerous meteorite

After 47 years of losing track, astronomers rediscovered the meteorite 6344 PL, one of the potentially dangerous cosmic objects for the Earth. Interestingly, this ' stray ' object is the newly discovered asteroid this year and has been named the new 2007 RR9!

This meteorite has a diameter of about 207 meters. The 6344 PL meteorite travels at about 15 km / sec, in an orbit that is about 0.05 astronomical units or about 7,480,000 km.

2007 RR9 shows no sign of threatening the Earth in the near future.However, over time, this meteorite will change its orbit and can hit our planet.(Photo: Space)

6344 PL was discovered by Dutch astronomer Ingrid van Houten-Groeneveld on September 24, 1960 and listed as a " potentially dangerous asteroid " for Earth. But just a short time after the discovery, astronomers lost sight of this asteroid, making scientists feel fearful about its " onions ".

Recently, after studying the ' history ' and activities of the 2007 RR9, astronomer Peter Jenniskens, of SETI Academy (USA), confirmed that this asteroid is not a new discovery, which was 6344 PL discovered 47 years ago.

Jenniskens' assertion was confirmed by the Small Planet Center of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in Cambridge, MA, USA. Mr. Jenniskens said: 'This object has long been classified as dangerous for Earth, but for a long time, no one knows where it is to follow'.

According to Jenniskens, although known as an ' asteroid ', 6344 PL is not a true asteroid, but rather a piece of a comet core that exploded at a time not far away. very.

6344 PL (ie the current 2007 RR9) is one of 886 asteroids with a diameter greater than 150 meters. However, astronomers have not yet given the exact size of 6344 PL, only estimated from 250 to 560 meters in diameter. For every 4.7 years, 2007 RR9 will turn around one round of the Sun, following an oval trajectory that brings it near Jupiter. Therefore, this meteorite is also known as the " comet of Jupiter ".

Diagram of NASA astronomical objects created on October 6, 2007, RR9 is near Earth in astronomical units.(Photo: NASA)

Specialist Gareth V. Williams, of the Small Planet Research Center, said 2007 RR9 will cross the Earth on November 6, 2007, at a distance of 0.07 astronomical units, or 10,472,000 km. At that time, the location of the meteorite will be high latitude in the Southern hemisphere, but because it is too dim, it cannot be seen from the Earth with the naked eye.

According to NASA location diagrams made by October 6, 2007, 2007 RR9 is near Earth in astronomical units (1 astronomical unit = 149,597,870,691 km).

According to experts, 2007 RR9 has no sign of threatening the Earth in the near future. However, over time, this meteorite will change its orbit and can hit our planet.

Quang Thinh
According to Space, Wired Science, News Sawf, VNN