NASA Shares Photos of Two Giants Space Rocks in Asteroid Belt

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) shared two remarkable photos of two gigantic asteroids flying in the asteroid belt, where they predicted it was as big as some major cities on Earth.

The space administration shared a photo that they have tracked in one of their space cameras and discovered some new movements of asteroids in the asteroid belt. These two gigantic asteroids were then recognized to be Lina and Klotho, who was both found in the asteroid belt between planets Mars and Jupiter.

The two giant asteroids

In the movement, asteroid Lina was reeling 37 miles in diameter and takes at least 2,000 days to orbit around the Sun. On the other hand, asteroid Klotho, who is slightly bigger than asteroid Lina, was reeling in diameter of more than 50.9 miles and will take 1,569 days to orbit around the Sun completely.

According to NASA, they used the NEOWISE telescope to determine and track the movement of the two giant asteroids in the belt. In their official website, they stated that they have seen strings of orange dots, which apparently are the most colorful and brightest dots an asteroid can show. With that data, they automatically identified it was asteroids Klotho and Lina, who are the only asteroids who shows off orange dots.

NASA also stated that the two giant asteroids orbited in the main asteroid belt that is located between planets Mars and Jupiter. The telescope was also able to show smaller and more distant asteroids that were roaming around and in the asteroid belt.

The space team was able to get these asteroid images using NEOWISE, a more advanced asteroid-hunting portion of the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) mission.

NEOWISE was a telescope and space tool that NASA used to get measurements of asteroids and comets in asteroid belts. Images captured by WISE are more vivid and makes it possible to observe asteroid movements in space. NEOWISE's images are also used as a rich archive for solar system objects that NASA and other space scientists can use for study, observation, and research.

How far are the two asteroids from Earth?

NASA is not worried about the two asteroids coming to Earth, because asteroids that are placed and roaming around the asteroid belt of Jupiter and Mars is closer to Jupiter, so Earth is safe from any asteroid coming out of space.

Jupiter is known to have a very strong and sturdy gravitational pull that it helps keep the asteroid belt in place. With this, space rocks will be roaming in it and it is less likely able to get out of the asteroid belt. Thanks to Jupiter, asteroids in that belt will not be able to fly in the solar system.

While many people and theorists think that there are planets that attract loose asteroids, comets, and meteors in, NASA has an explanation about it. According to NASA's website, Jupiter is very helpful in the solar system when it comes to handling loose asteroids and keeping them on the asteroid's belt. Because of the planet's strong gravitational force on the asteroids, the other planets are safe from having a large asteroid attack.

NASA also added that Jupiter has protected the other planets in the solar system from asteroid collisions even in the past, and with that, we should be thankful.