An asteroid the size of the Great Pyramid of Giza will pass Earth on the night of the Beaver Full Moon this November 19, 2021. Scientists said that it would not be alone as another slightly smaller asteroid would accompany it.
However, another asteroid bigger than the two will also pass Earth the following night of the Beaver Full Moon. Experts said that this asteroid is so massive that it dwarfs both asteroids the night before.
Great Pyramid-Sized Asteroid Not Alone on the Night of the Beaver Full Moon
Washington News Today reported that on the night of this month's Beaver Full Moon, the asteroid 2021 VR that has a diameter nearly equal to the height of the Great Pyramid of Giza will pass by Earth.
However, the 120-meter asteroid will not be alone as it travels near the planet because it will be joined by another asteroid known as the asteroid 2021 VJ11. It is a smaller asteroid with a diameter of up to 41 meters or just a little over one-half of the width of a 747 jet plane.
Asteroid 2021 VR will pass by the planet at a speed of almost 30,000 miles per hour, which is equivalent to almost fifteen times the speeds of a rifle bullet. Meanwhile, its companion will travel at approximately 24,000 miles per hour or sixteen times faster than a jet fighter.
The smaller asteroid will pass Earth at a distance of roughly 1.6 million miles on its closest approach to the planet, while the Great Pyramid of Giza-sized asteroid will be at 3.7 million miles from Earth at its furthest point from the planet on Friday night.
Read also: Partial Lunar Eclipse Will Be High in North American Skies: Here's When and Where It Will Be Visible
A Bigger Asteroid Will Pass By Earth
On Saturday night, the night after the Beaver Full Moon, a third asteroid will pass by Earth that astronomers claim to be bigger. Asteroid 2016 JG12 is said to dwarf the two previous space rocks, having a diameter of 190 meters or greater than the Washington Monument.
But compared to asteroids 2021 VJ11 and 2021 VR, the biggest of the three will travel at a nearly leisurely speed of just under 17,000 miles per hour. However, it is still fast, given that it is 20 times the speed of a bullet fired from a handgun.
NASA's Center for Near-Earth Objects (CNEOS) has classified all three asteroids as Near-Earth Objects since they orbit within 120 million miles near the planet. CNEOS is responsible for correctly following orbits of asteroids around the Sun to accurately project their direction in the future and know when they will approach the Sun again.
November 2021's Beaver Full Moon
According to the news outlet WDSU, the Beaver full moon got its name from the beaver hunting season that peaks this time of the year when they start retiring to their lodges before winter arrives. Other cultures also call it the Digging Moon, the Whitefish Moon, and the Frost Moon.
But this year's Beaver Moon is something special because it coincides with 2021's second lunar eclipse. As Science Times previously reported, it will be the longest lunar eclipse this century that will last for three hours, 28 minutes, and 23 seconds. A lunar eclipse during a full moon will be at its brightest and often turn red, that is why sometimes it is also called the Blood Moon.
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