Incoming: asteroid twice the size of the Great Pyramid

Asteroid 2017 AE3 will pass Earth on December 29th, at a safe distance of 3.54 million kilometers. It measures between 116 to 260 meters, comparable to Egypt's Great Pyramid. Traveling at 19 km/s, it could cause significant damage if it ever hit Earth, releasing energy over 1000 times that of the first atomic bomb. However, its current trajectory poses no threat. The asteroid orbits the sun every 913 days, with its next close approach to Earth in 2114, at 12.6 million kilometers.

How does the size of Asteroid 2017 AE3 compare to the Great Pyramid of Giza?

• It is about the same size as the pyramid.

• It is smaller than the pyramid.

• It is more than twice the size of the pyramid.

• It is between one and two times the size of the pyramid.

What is the speed of Asteroid 2017 AE3?

• 19 kilometers per second

• 19 kilometers per hour

• 19 meters per second

• 19 miles per hour

If Asteroid 2017 AE3 were to impact Earth, how would its energy release compare to the first atomic bomb?

• It would release the same amount of energy.

• It would release less energy.

• It would release 1000 times more energy.

• It would release 100 times more energy.

How far will Asteroid 2017 AE3 pass from Earth on its current path?

• 913 kilometers

• 385,000 kilometers

• 3.54 million kilometers

• 12.6 million kilometers

When is the next time Asteroid 2017 AE3 will come close to Earth?

• In the year 2200

• In the year 2050

• In the year 2114

• In the year 2025