There are almost 30,000 known asteroids according to Center for Near Earth Studies and while few pose an immediate threat, there is a chance one of significant size could hit the earth and cause catastrophic damage. “The radar data not only helps confirm information from optical observations, but it can help us identify physical and dynamical characteristics, which in turn could give us insights into appropriate deflection techniques if they were needed to protect the planet.” “We can use new data from other observatories and compare it to the observations we have made here over the past 40 years,” Zambrano-Marin says. UCF Planetary Scientist Luisa Fernanda Zambrano-Marin is based at the NSF Arecibo Observatory. Science operations in the areas of space and atmospheric sciences continue, and the personnel is refurbishing 12-meter antennas to continue astronomical research. Despite the fact that the observatory’s telescope collapsed in 2020, the Planetary Radar team will be able to use the current data bank, which covers four decades. To continue her investigation, Zambrano-Marin is currently inspecting the data acquired by Arecibo’s Planetary Radar database. C-type asteroids are among the most common and some of the oldest in our solar system. This is a growing group that scientists say needs more attention.Īccording to the data, the asteroid is likely a C-type, which are asteroids made up of clay and silicate rocks, or S-type, which are composed of silicate and nickel-iron. It was rotating at 3 to 5 minutes, which means it is part of only 4.2 percent of the known fast rotating asteroids. It is pictured here in the spring of 2019 before its collapse at the end of 2020. The Arecibo Telescope was a 305 m (1,000 ft) spherical reflector radio telescope built into a natural sinkhole at the Arecibo Observatory located near Arecibo, Puerto Rico. National Science Foundation under a cooperative agreement.īecause the asteroid appeared to come out of nowhere and was traveling so fast, it made headline news. University of Central Florida (UCF) manages the Arecibo Observatory for the U.S. The asteroid was traveling so fast, that’s all the time she’d have it in Arecibo’s sights. Zambrano-Marin and the team had just 30 minutes to collect as many radar readings as they could. When asteroid 2019 OK suddenly appeared barreling toward Earth on July 25, 2019, Luisa Fernanda Zambrano-Marin and the team of astronomers at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico quickly sprang into action.Īfter receiving an alert, the radar scientists zoned in on the asteroid, which was approaching from Earth’s blind spot - solar opposition. That’s why the work of researchers like University of Central Florida’s Luisa Fernanda Zambrano-Marin is so important. While few pose an immediate threat, there is a chance one of significant size could hit the earth and cause catastrophic damage. There are almost 30,000 known asteroids according to the Center for Near Earth Studies.
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