Astronomers in Chile have discovered a "planet killer" asteroid lurking in the glare of the Sun. Using the Dark Energy Camera (DECam), placed on top of the Victor M. Blanco four-metre telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile, scientists came across not one but three asteroids.
The largest of the three may be the biggest potentially dangerous asteroid that has been discovered in the past eight years, at 1.5km wide. Spotting asteroids in this region is difficult because asteroid hunters have to compete with the Sun's light.
But during twilight, when the light conditions were the most favourable, astronomers discovered three NEAs - near Earth asteroids. The largest asteroid, called 2022 AP7, has an orbit that means it may end up in the Earth's path some day.
