A 4-kilometer wide asteroid can potentially wipe out the entire human civilization as it is expected to pass extremely close by our planet in April.

NASA, a space agency based in the United States of America, is keeping a close eye on the colossal rock, which is around 4.1 kilometers wide.

The rock, which has been named as 52768 (1998 OR2), is traveling around 8.7km per second, which is equivalent to 31,320kmh/19,461mph.

The asteroid is projected to pass by our planet on April 29, 2020, and will be 0.04205 astronomical units away from our planet.

An astronomical unit is an average distance from our planet to the Sun, which is around 93 million miles.

In other words, the 52768 (1998 OR2) will be 3.9 million miles away from our planet when it will pass near our planet.

The National Near-Earth Object Preparedness Strategy, which was put together by the US National Science and Technology Council in 2018, said, “Objects close to and larger than one kilometer can cause damage on a global scale. They can trigger earthquakes, tsunamis, and other secondary effects that extend far beyond the immediate impact area.”

To place things in perspective, the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs on our planet was around 6 miles, which is equivalent to 10 kilometers, wide.

Dr. Bruce Betts, an expert that works with the Planetary Society, said, “There are a few asteroids that currently are known to have a low probability of hitting Earth in tens to hundreds of years.”

Dr. Bruce added, “For example, one of the highest probabilities currently is an approximately 37m diameter asteroid called 2000 SG344 that has a 1 in 1,100 chance of impact in 2071.”

Dr. Bruce continued, “But these always are based on asteroid observations that have uncertainties in them.”

If you’re worried, don’t be, because this is not the first time an asteroid will hit our planet.

Smaller asteroids that are coming into the atmosphere of our planet are more common than you might think.

Dr. Betts said, “Chelyabinsk size asteroids – about 20m that hit in 2013 – create shock waves that shatter windows and cause injuries.”

The doctor added, “Tunguska sized – about 40m that hit Siberia in 1908 – could completely destroy a city or create a tsunami.”

Right now, everyone is worried about the deadly coronavirus, so if you survive the epidemic, there is a huge chance that you might die due to the fact that an asteroid might hit our planet.

Jokes aside, we hope nothing happens.