Asteroid 349507 (2008 QY) is around 1.2 kilometers in diameter, or around 1,000 capybaras – large enough that an impact event (which won't happen now) could be a worldwide catastrophe.

While the asteroid is traveling too far to pose any risk to the Earth, a possible impact event with it could become a worldwide catastrophe.

  • unoriginalsin@lemmy.worldAfaraf
    13·
    9 months ago

    And we’ll misapply it as well. The asteroid isn’t the size of 1000 capybaras, it’s as wide as 1000 capybaras lined up. Assuming it’s roughly spherical, it’s actually closer to the size of 524,000,000 capybaras.

    • jarfil@lemmy.world
      4·
      9 months ago

      Asteroids can be wildly non-spherical though, in shapes way different than capybara non-sphericalities, so it’s not only misapplied but likely also nonsensical… unless, it’s a giant capybara shaped asteroid.

      • unoriginalsin@lemmy.worldAfaraf
        1·
        9 months ago

        True, but we’re only given the one measurement and can only assume it to be true and accurate. Even if it is non-spherical, so long as the “diameter” given is a true average we can treat it as spherical for this purpose. And, the 1000 capybaras “measurement” is still of by many orders of magnitude.