Its probably safe to assume peanuts dont really spark fear in many people unless youre allergic to them. <\/p>\n
Unless, of course, what is masquerading as a giant peanut is actually a huge space rock hurdling toward Earth. <\/p>\n
On February 12, the Arecibo Observatory, an enormous radio telescope located inside a sinkhole in Puerto Rico, captured new movies of an asteroid, which they have named2015 BN509. <\/p>\n
Measuring approximately 200 meters (660 feet) wide by 400 meters (1,310 feet) long which, by the way, is taller than the Empire State Building asteroid 2015 BN509 has been deemed potentially hazardous by NASA. <\/p>\n
This means the objects orbit through space may lead it to crash into Earth one day. <\/p>\n
According to Ed Rivera-Valentn, who studies Arecibo data as a planetary scientist with the Universities Space Research Association, asteroid 2015 BN509 flew by Earth last week, traveling at about70,500 kilometers per hour (44,000 mph). <\/p>\n
Rivera-Valentn told Business Insider, <\/p>\n
The peanut shape comes from the fact that it is a contact binary, where the two parts [of asteroids] could not successfully orbit each other and fell back together. <\/p>\n
He added these contact binaries are quite often shaped just like peanuts. Yum. <\/p>\n
If the threat of a ginormous asteroid striking Earth gives you that dj vu feeling, youre not crazy. In the past three weeks, weve seen not one, but twosimilar space rocks that seem determined to strike our planet. <\/p>\n
Whats different about 2015 BN509 (lets just call it the peanut monstrosity), though, is how close its come to Earth. The object flew by at arange of about 14 times the distance between Earth and the moon. <\/p>\n
Rivera-Valentn added, <\/p>\n
An asteroid impact, unlike other natural catastrophes, can actually be avoided. The data from Arecibo can be used by NASA to inform a planetary defense mission. <\/p>\n
I guess thats his comforting way of telling us were not actually as screwed as it sounds? <\/p>\n
Heres to hoping that, if the peanut monstrosity does make contact with Earth, it will simply unleash millions of peanuts to rain down upon us, la Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs. <\/p>\n
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Allie is a News Writer at Elite Daily, as well as a recent graduate from The University of Delaware. If you are in her social circle, you probably know more than you care to about her cat, Jasper. She loves to exercise, but basically cancels th ...<\/p>\n
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NASA Says Asteroid Bigger Than Empire State Building Is On Track To Hit Earth - Elite Daily<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Its probably safe to assume peanuts dont really spark fear in many people unless youre allergic to them. Unless, of course, what is masquerading as a giant peanut is actually a huge space rock hurdling toward Earth. Continue reading