Space1 min(s) read
Published 12:01 19 Oct 2020 GMT
Neil deGrasse Tyson claims that an asteroid could hit Earth just one day before the US election.
According to a report by CNN, news of the incoming meteor was first announced on August 23, when the Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory announced that an asteroid called 2018VP1 had been observed approaching our planet.
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Per CNN, 2018VP1 (which was first identified by astronomers working at Palomar Observatory in California back in 2018) was estimated by NASA scientists as having a 0.41% chance of hitting our planet on November 2.
In layman's terms, that means that there's a 1-in-240 chance of the meteor impacting our planet the day before the 2020 presidential election.
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However, Neil deGrasse Tyson has taken great pains this week to reassure us all that the end is (probably) not nigh.
In a statement made on Twitter, the 61-year-old celebrity astrophysicist wrote to his 14.3 million followers:
"Asteroid 2018VP1, a refrigerator-sized space-rock, is hurtling towards us at more than 40,000 km/hr.
"It may buzz-cut Earth on Nov 2, the day before the Presidential Election.
"It’s not big enough to cause harm. So if the World ends in 2020, it won’t be the fault of the Universe. [sic]"
The space agency itself has released data showing the relative lack of direct harm the object poses, and also urged the public not to panic about the piece of space debris.
Take a look at this incredible video showing the impact of the Chelyabinsk meteor back in 2013:
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In an official Twitter statement, a spokesperson for NASA's Asteroid Watch, wrote: "Asteroid 2018VP1 is very small, approx. 6.5 feet, and poses no threat to Earth!"
"It currently has a 0.41% chance of entering our planet’s atmosphere, but if it did, it would disintegrate due to its extremely small size. [sic]"
Despite these assurances, 2018VP1 currently holds the third spot on the European Space Agency's Near-Earth Asteroid Risk List.
According to SpaceIn3D.com, the small size of the object makes it difficult to detect with Earth-based telescopes and detectors. The asteroid orbits our sun once every two years, and then spends months, or sometimes years out of sight, only appearing at the last possible moment.
