Search Results

{{searchSuggestion.title}}
{{searchSuggestion.date}}

No Result Found.

Fact Check: Is a huge asteroid going to destroy the Earth on 29th April 2020?

  • Share

Summary

Although an asteroid is estimated to pass by Earth on April 29, 2020, no potential danger has been detected and the claims that the asteroid is going to hit Earth or end civilization is a hoax.

Several social media posts have been spreading a piece of news that a 4KM huge asteroid is set to hit Earth in April 2020 and possibly destroy civilization.

A Twitter user Bhawani Kumar Malhi tweeted, "@NASA confirmed an asteroid too close to hit Earth and end Humanity on 29 April 2020.


 

Similar claims have been made on Youtube as well.

The posts on social media have been shared based on an article published by express.co.uk and the title reads, “Asteroid warning: NASA tracks a 4KM asteroid approach - Could end civilization if it hits”. 

The information shared by the article is partially true as the huge asteroid does exist and is expected to pass by Earth soon. However, the claims that it will hit Earth in April 2020 is fake and misleading. The asteroid also called the (52768) 1998 OR2 is expected to fly past Earth on April 29, 2020, and its distance from Earth is found to be 6.3 million km. This asteroid is not a new discovery as if was first identified in 1998 and has been classified under “potentially hazardous objects” only because they pass near the Earth’s orbits periodically. A news article published by NASA reads, “Additional follow-up observations are required to more precisely determine the orbits of these asteroids, but preliminary projections show that 1998 OH can get no closer than about 5 million kilometers (about 3 million miles) -- about 12 times the distance between Earth and the Moon”. Thus, although it has been classified as a potentially hazardous object, the chances of the asteroid “destroying” Earth seems to be less and nothing to be feared about. It has also been reported to “safely pass Earth” by earthsky.org which suggests ways in which one can see the asteroid. 

The article initially published by express.co.uk had been edited to take out the unnecessary exaggerations which seemed to cause fear among some people.

In conclusion, although an asteroid is estimated to pass by Earth on April 29, 2020, no potential danger has been detected and the claims that the asteroid is going to hit Earth or end civilization is a hoax.

  • Share

Note: You can reach out to us at support[at]facthunt.co.in if you find any issue with our articles.


COMMENTS

{{comment.user.fname}} {{comment.user.lname}}, {{comment.date}}

{{urlify(comment.comment)}}.

LEAVE A COMMENT

Please Login or signup to share your views on this article

Support Fact Hunt

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

Culprits

POPULAR POSTS

All you need to know about opposition leaders state-sponsored hacking claim
by FactHunt Admin 2023-11-01 07:02:25
No, Passengers without Burqas Were Not Prevented From Boarding A Bus In Kerala
by FactHunt Admin 2023-10-31 13:27:53
List of 17 Nepalis shared as Indians kidnapped by Hamas
by FactHunt Admin 2023-10-18 12:54:13
Fact Check: Was an Afghanistan Cricket team supporter beaten by Indians during world cup?
by FactHunt Admin 2023-10-13 14:59:58
Debunking the Claim: US Navy Carrying F-16 Fighter Jets to Israel
by FactHunt Admin 2023-10-12 18:21:17
Daughter Nandana denies news of death of her father Amartya Sen
by FactHunt Admin 2023-10-10 19:47:46
Edited Press Release shared on social media to falsely claim that US sends $8Bn in aid to Israel
by FactHunt Admin 2023-10-10 07:02:46
Viral Video From Azerbaijan Falsely Shared As Israeli Generals Detained by Hamas Fighter
by FactHunt Admin 2023-10-10 05:04:02
Uday Kotak Calls Out Impostor LinkedIn Account Promoting Crypto currencies
by FactHunt Admin 2023-10-07 15:40:48
Debunking the Myth: Giant Octopus Attacking a Car in Qatar
by FactHunt Admin 2023-10-06 19:06:05
Image of a train decorated with Flowers for Onam is AI generated
by FactHunt Admin 2023-08-25 19:42:05
Debunking the Myth: Tea or Coffee Without Brushing Doesn't Cause Cavities
by FactHunt Admin 2023-09-10 19:57:56
Debunking the Claim that SBI Will Deduct Rs 57.5 After 40 Withdrawals a Year
by FactHunt Admin 2023-08-12 18:28:15
Jamtara Scam Case Study: How to Stay Safe in the Face of Online Frauds
by FactHunt Admin 2023-06-07 20:36:37
Navigating the NFT World: Common Scams in the NFT Industry
by FactHunt Admin 2023-05-25 20:24:31
Understanding Cryptocurrency and the Prevalence of Scams in the Crypto Industry
by FactHunt Admin 2023-05-02 20:05:39
Debunking Online Scams: How to Recognize and Avoid Internet Fraud
by FactHunt Admin 2023-04-07 19:53:38
Fact Check: Doctored photo of BJP flag hoisting viral as a sign of "lotus blooming" in Tamil Nadu
by Aniket Datta 2022-06-08 12:50:03
Debunking the Money Received Scam on UPI payment apps like Google Pay
by FactHunt Admin 2022-12-20 19:26:40
Fact Check: Did Sourav Ganguly actually resign as the BCCI President? Rumours abound;
by Aniket Datta 2022-06-01 18:35:03

Mobile App

Available for Android

NEWSLETTER

Subscribe to our newsletter to get notification about new fact checks, feature updates, etc..