What Are You Doing in 2046? Hopefully Not Dodging an Asteroid

Twenty-three years from now an asteroid could end up hitting Earth, according to NASA, although the chances of a collision are currently extremely low.

The space agencyannounced(Opens in a new window)the discovery on Tuesday. Fortunately, the asteroid, dubbed 2023 DW, only has a “very small chance of hitting” our planet in 2046.

The asteroid will make its closest approach to the Earth on Feb. 14, 2046. NASA added: “Often when new objects are first discovered, it takes several weeks of data to reduce the uncertainties and adequately predict their orbits years into the future.” So it’s possible the chances of 2023 DW hitting Earth could further plummet once NASA completes its calculations.

In the meantime, 2023 DW hasrisen(Opens in a new window)to the top of the European Space Agency’s risk list for potential asteroid impacts. However, the ESA has rated it a one on theTorino Scale(Opens in a new window), meaning it should pose no threat to the public with currently only a one-in-625 chance of hitting our planet.

If the asteroid does collide, don’t expect the apocalypse. 2023 DW only measures 49.3 meters (161 feet) in size. That’s similar to the asteroid that caused theTunguska event(Opens in a new window)in Russia back in 1908, which flattened a forest area in remote Siberia, but resulted in few casualties.

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那t said, the damage could be more severe if 2023 DW hits a populated area. In 2013, a space rock measuring around 60 feet in sizeexploded(Opens in a new window)over the skies in Russia, creating a large shockwave that injured around 1,500 people.

However, NASA has the capability to change 2023 DW’s trajectory if it poses a threat. Last year, the space agency used its DART craftto slaminto a 525-foot asteroid, called Dimorphos. The resulting impact managed to alter the orbit of Dimorphos around its parent asteroid Didymos.