There are millions of asteroids from which some of them is dangerous uniquely. A potentially hazardous object (PHO) is a near-Earth object with an orbit that has the potential to make exceptionally close approaches to the Earth. It is also of a size large enough to cause significant regional damage in the event of impact. Astronomers indicate that between 37,000 and 78,000 tons of solar system debris hit Earth each single year. Fortunately, they usually rain down in tiny pieces that burn up in the atmosphere. Now, we’d like to call you attention introducing top 10 dangerous asteroids.

Hope our post will be useful for those people who are interested in space and science.

Bennu has a 1 in 2,700 chance of hitting Earth in 2135

Bennu is one of the dangerous asteroids in the Apollo group discovered by the LINEAR Project on September 11, 1999. Asteroid Bennu has a 1 in 2,700 chance of hitting Earth the 21th of September in 2135. But don’t worry NASA has a plan to destroy it using nuclear bombs before it reaches here. It is a potentially hazardous object that is listed on the Sentry Risk Table with the second-highest cumulative rating on the Palermo Technical Impact Hazard Scale. Bennu is currently about 54 million miles from Earth and orbits Sun.

Zephyr asteroid approached Earth on September 2010

Zephyr is a stony asteroid, that is classified as one of the dangerous asteroids and near-Earth object of the Apollo group. It is approximately 2 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 11 April 1999. The asteroid was named after the deity Zephyrus from Greek mythology. The asteroid approached Earth at 0.2546 AU (38,100,000 km) on September 2010; it will make close encounters with Earth again in 2021, 2032 and 2043.

Mithra is considered as a near-Earth object

Mithra is an eccentric asteroid that is classified as near-Earth object and one of the dangerous asteroids, approximately 2 kilometers in diameter. It belongs to the Apollo group of asteroids and is a relatively slow rotator. As a dangerous asteroid, it has a low minimum orbit intersection distance with Earth of 0.0463 AU (6,930,000 km) or 18 lunar distances. On 14 August 2000, it passed 0.0465 AU (6,960,000 km) from Earth.

Florence is large enough to create serious damage

Florence is a stony asteroid of the Amor group. It is classified as a near-Earth object and potentially hazardous asteroid. It measures approximately 5 kilometers in diameter. It orbits the Sun at a distance of 1.0–2.5 AU once every 2 years and 4 months (859 days). Florence is considered as one of the dangerous asteroids because its minimum orbit intersection distance (MOID ≤ 0.05 AU) indicates that it has the potential to make close approaches to the Earth. And it is large enough to create a serious damage.

Cuno is a rare-type asteroid

Cuno is an eccentric, rare-type asteroid, classified as near-Earth object and potentially hazardous asteroid of the Apollo group. It measures approximately 4 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 5 June 1959, by German astronomer Cuno Hoffmeister at Boyden Observatory in Bloemfontein, South Africa, and later named in the discoverer’s honor. Cuno approaches the Earth to within 40 million kilometers six times in the 21st century. On 20 May 2012, it made its closest Earth approach at a distance of 0.122 AU (18,000,000 km).

Midas is a vestoid asteroid

Midas is a vestoid asteroid, is considered as a near-Earth object and potentially hazardous asteroid, approximately 2 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 6 March 1973, by American astronomer Charles Kowal at Palomar Observatory in San Diego County, California. It was named after King Midas from Greek mythology.

Oljato is an unusual asteroid and sizable near-Earth object

Oljato is extremely unusual asteroid and sizable near-Earth object of the Apollo group. It is stony and, approximately 2 kilometers in diameter. Oljato was discovered by American astronomer. After its discovery, this near-Earth Apollo asteroid became a lost asteroid for 32 years and was recovered under the provisional designation.

Toutatis passed within about 18 lunar distances of Earth

Toutatis is a stony asteroid and slow rotator. It is considered as one of the dangerous asteroids of the Apollo and Alinda group. Asteroid is approximately 2.5 kilometers in diameter. Discovered by French astronomer Christian Pollas at Caussols in 1989, and was named after Toutatis from Celtic mythology. In December 2012, Toutatis passed within about 18 lunar distances of Earth. It approached Earth again in 2016, but will not make another notably close approach until 2069.

Geographos is near-Earth object and PHO of the Apollo group

Geographos is a highly elongated, stony asteroid, near-Earth object and potentially hazardous asteroid of the Apollo group, with a mean-diameter of approximately 2.5 kilometers. It was discovered on 14 September 1951, by astronomers Albert George Wilson and Rudolph Minkowski at the Palomar Observatory in California, United States. The asteroid was named in honor of the National Geographic Society. Geographos approached to Earth in two centuries at 5.0 Gm, which will not be bettered until 2586.

2002 CE asteroid is one of the largest potentially hazardous asteroid known to exist

The last asteroid that we would like to mention is 2002 CE. It is a stony asteroid, classified as near-Earth object and potentially hazardous asteroid of the Amor group. Asteroid is approximately 3.1 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 1 February 2002. This asteroid is one of the largest potentially hazardous asteroid known to exist.

Source: wikipedia.org