Space is full of enormous rocks hurtling at high velocities, and just the thought of it can be unsettling. An image of an asteroid has recently stirred up such feelings for many people.
NASA estimates that there are between 1.1 to 1.9 million asteroids in space that are at least 1 kilometer in diameter. This number doesn’t even account for the numerous smaller asteroids that also exist.
Earlier this year, scientists at NASA raised concerns about an asteroid known as 2024 YR, which was detected orbiting tens of thousands of miles away from Earth. They warned that this asteroid, comparable in size to New York’s Statue of Liberty, might pose a threat to our planet by 2032.
Luckily, NASA has since reassured us that this particular asteroid no longer poses a significant risk. However, these celestial bodies still incite fear due to their enormous sizes.
Consider the asteroid Donaldjohnson, formed approximately 150 million years ago, which is as large as two New York Central Parks laid end-to-end.
Yet, it’s another space rock that has recently caught attention. A close-up image of this asteroid has given many people the creeps.
The asteroid, named Ryugu, is the subject of one of the clearest asteroid photos ever taken.
This image was captured by Hayabusa-2, a Japanese mission that aimed to sample the asteroid and returned these samples to Earth in 2020 for analysis.
NASA highlighted the importance of Ryugu, stating: “Asteroid Ryugu, a near-Earth and potentially hazardous asteroid, is classified as a Cb-type asteroid.”
NASA further described it as being about 1 km wide and composed of ‘water-rich and carbonaceous materials,’ which could offer insights into the solar system’s evolution through ongoing study.
The crisp view of the asteroid is undoubtedly exciting, but for some, it’s the stark darkness of space surrounding it that feels unsettling.
The closest experience we have to complete darkness might be the ocean at night, but space is even darker and thus more daunting.
Many have expressed discomfort with the inky blackness encircling the asteroid on social media.
One person commented: “Imagine the last time that thing was as close to another light source,” while another remarked: “Outer space seems less like a star ocean and more like an infinite void.”
Another individual agreed, saying: “Agree, the complete void of space is so unsettling.”
Someone else shared: “OMG! At first glance I thought this was the bottom of the ocean.”
It can be daunting to think about being alone in such an environment, as many have observed.
“If we’re out in that blackness, imagine what else is out there…”
Interestingly, some astronauts have felt far from lonely while navigating the vast emptiness of space.
Michael Collins, who piloted the command module during Apollo 11, became the most isolated human when he passed to the dark side of the Moon.
Despite this, he reported feeling ‘awareness, anticipation, satisfaction, confidence, almost exultation’ during his mission.