Earth to narrowly miss collision with giant asteroid

Dubbed ‘2011 MD,’ the asteroid is going to miss collision with our planet by a distance of less than 8,000 miles. The asteroid will be roughly 32 times closer than the moon.

Measuring from 25 to 55 feet in width, and 33 feet in length, the asteroid will pass above the planet’s surface over the southern Atlantic Ocean near the coast of Antarctica on Monday.

Even though 2011 MD will not put on much of a show, the asteroid-watchers with telescopes will be able to see the space rock at around 1:00 p.m. EST.

According to Minor Planet Center's ranking charts, 2011 MD is “fifth-closest recorded asteroid event.”

“We are certain that it will miss us, but if it did enter the atmosphere, an asteroid this size would mostly burn up in a brilliant fireball, possibly scattering a few meteorites.”-- Astronomy Now magazine's Dr. Emily Baldwin

2011 MD: no threat to Earth
Though the asteroid will be closer to Earth than the global positioning satellites that orbit it, 2011 MD poses no threat, assured scientists.

Going by the size of asteroid, calculated by its brightness, 2011 MD is not hazardous, claims Minor Planet Center.

Even if it explodes in the atmosphere, 2011 MD won’t travel very far and therefore will not reach the ground. In fact, space rocks of this size skim past Earth once in every six years.

Astronomy Now magazine's Dr. Emily Baldwin told Skymania news, “We are certain that it will miss us, but if it did enter the atmosphere, an asteroid this size would mostly burn up in a brilliant fireball, possibly scattering a few meteorites.”

About 2011 MD
Discovered on June 22 2011 by LINEAR's pair of robotic telescopes in New Mexico, 2011 MD is presumed to be an Apollo asteroid.

The asteroid’s orbit has been calculated at 10.9 years by the Minor Planet Center.

After the Monday approach, 2011 MD will pay us another visit in 2022. Even then, it will sail past Earth and cause no harm.