Asteroid 2023 DW, the Size of an Olympic Pool, Is Heading Towards Earth! Should We Be Worried?

Last year, an asteroid dubbed 2023 DW was discovered by NASA hurtling towards Earth with a 1 in 560 chance of hitting our planet home. While this news is concerning, scientists are still gathering data on this asteroid, noting that predictions about its movement could change.

Is It Going to Hit the Earth?

Following the discovery of this asteroid last year, JPL navigation engineer Davide Farnocchia said that the “object is not particularly concerning.” On the NASA Torino Impact Hazard Scale, asteroid 2023 DW scores 1 out of 0-10 ranking, meaning that an actual collision is “extremely unlikely.”

For this reason, scientists have given 2023 DW a 1 in 560 chance of hitting Earth. Additionally, this expected collision is to take place in about 22 years.

Within this time period, scientists might have been able to come up with a way to deflect the asteroid, hence preventing a collision with Earth. Back in 2022, NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (Dart) mission was able to deflect some small asteroids from hitting Earth by driving spacecraft into the line of travel.

However, one might argue that these asteroids being deflected by the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (Dart) mission were smaller in comparison to asteroid 2023 DW. This is true, from available reports we learn that 2023 DW is “roughly the size of an Olympic swimming pool.”

Potential Damage From Asteroid 2023 DW Crashing Into Earth

Regardless of the size of the asteroid 2023 DW, its 1 in 560 chance of crashing into Earth will not be a global wrecking event. While its impact might be slightly greater than that of the meteor that crashed into Chelyabinsk, Russia in 2013 scientists are sure that any damage left can be contained.

This doesn’t mean that 2023 DW will not leave behind ruins if it crashes into Earth by 2046. Brandon Drenon, a BBC writer, said that “2023 DW could still cause significant damage if it were to land atop a major city or densely populated area.”

To prevent such damage, scientists at NASA are working to better understand 2023 DW.