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Asteroid Barely Misses Earth, And You Didn’t Know About It

By Antonio J. Newell
Published on: 05:26 PST, Jun 3, 2016

An asteroid lit up the sky last night as it passed over Arizona, and NASA caught it on video. While you’d probably like to think it was fake (or something else altogether), it seemed similar to a scene from one of your favorite doomsday movies.

If you could picture NASA sitting at headquarters watching the asteroid approach, all while hoping it would skew from the “impact barrier,” it could remind you of movies such as Armageddon and Deep Impact. The only difference is that the general public wasn’t aware it was coming. This asteroid actually breached Earth’s lower atmosphere.

According to NASA, around 3:56 a.m. local time, an asteroid entered Earth’s atmosphere and lit up the night sky just over Phoenix, Arizona. The source noted that it created a sonic boom as well. Arizona’s KTVK-3 News reported that it was traveling at a mind-boggling 40,200 miles per hour. Given its incredible speed at the time of entry, a sonic boom came without saying.

NASA Meteor Watch mentioned that the asteroid “turned night into day.” And, as you can see from the footage above and below, it was true.

Asteroid Footage Via Arizona: June 2, 2016

https://www.facebook.com/NasaMeteorWatch/videos/1110903862302172/

You can clearly see the mountain range in the background as the asteroid passes over the horizon — just as you would during daylight hours. Many people have taken to social media to upload videos and photos regarding the asteroid spectacle. While personal security cameras are readily available to the public, some recorded the asteroid event from different perspectives.

According to the source, it was a 3-meter (or 10-foot) asteroid body. Had it hit ground, it wouldn’t have caused end-of-world devastation. However, that particular portion of Arizona wouldn’t have been happy about the Earth-crashing asteroid, either.

According to the Arizona Geological Survey (AZGS), the asteroid showed itself to be 10 times the brightness of a full moon. As aforementioned, its entry created a sonic boom over the area. Likewise, AZGS mentions that its explosive results shook the ground below. As can be expected, meteorite hunters have been searching across Phoenix for any traces of the asteroid.

At first, researchers thought that the asteroid didn’t leave any seismic traces. However, AZGS updated the results and stated that initial observations were “premature.” An updated statement was quoted, “AZGS’s Dr. Jeri Young identified a seismic signal at our Payson seismometer that probably reflects a compression wave from the detonation of the asteroid.”

https://www.facebook.com/AZ.Geological.Survey/posts/10154272131818035:0

Via another video, the aforementioned source also gave a computerized, first-person view of the asteroid’s trajectory as it approached Earth.

https://www.facebook.com/NasaMeteorWatch/videos/1110908918968333/

While the following image depicts a catastrophic version of last night’s event, the previously shared videos and images clearly show the dynamic possibilities that a small asteroid could have on Earth’s precious conditions.

Interestingly enough, astronauts have actually been in training to handle a near-Earth asteroid, in efforts to prevent such an obliterating collision. This isn’t just rumor or hearsay anymore. Below, you’ll find video footage of such asteroid training. While movies have peaked the public’s interest in what was once considered “science fiction,” it may now prove to be a true reality — one which the public can no longer ignore.

NASA’s Tumblr page explains the asteroid program in-depth. The name of the module is called the Human Research Exploration Analog, or HERA. In February, four female astronauts entered the facility for 30 days and simulated a 715-day mission which gauged “how isolation and close quarters affect[s] individual and group behavior.”

After those astronauts finished their asteroid simulation, four male astronauts entered the module to do the same. This happened on May 1. The video above showed them exiting the module after their asteroid mission was completed on June 1.

Then, ironically, a real asteroid entered Earth’s atmosphere the very next day. Scientists have been attempting to tell everyone that such a thing is inevitable in the upcoming years. Is it closer than many think?

What are your thoughts regarding the asteroid’s atmospheric debut? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.

[Image via Shutterstock]

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