All articles tagged with #near earth
NASA has identified four asteroids set to pass by Earth tomorrow, with the closest coming within 967,000 kilometers. Ranging in size from 22 to 200 feet wide, these asteroids belong to the Apollo and Aten groups of Near-Earth Asteroids, and are not expected to impact the planet. The space agency emphasizes the need for continuous monitoring of these space rocks and their orbits.
On February 22, an asteroid the size of a school bus, named 2024 DW, will pass within 140,000 miles of Earth, closer than the moon's average distance. Discovered by astronomers with the Mt. Lemmon Survey, it is one of several "potentially hazardous asteroids" passing by that day, but poses no threat. NASA regularly monitors such asteroids, and recent missions like DART and OSIRIS-REx aim to study and potentially deflect them.
Asteroid 2024 BJ, the size of an airplane, will have a "very close encounter" with Earth on Saturday, passing just 220,000 miles away. The asteroid, discovered earlier this month, poses no risk to our planet and will be visible on a live feed. It belongs to the Apollo group of near-Earth asteroids and is not considered hazardous. While Earth is safe from cataclysmic asteroids for the next 1,000 years, scientists have plans to deal with potential threats, including deflecting space rocks with rockets or nuclear weapons.
On March 25, the asteroid 2023 DZ2 will pass very close to Earth, closer than the Moon, and will be used to determine its size. It is considered a 'potentially dangerous' asteroid and is estimated to measure between 43 and 95 meters in diameter. While there is a remote possibility of it impacting Earth, experts believe it will barely be visible and will require powerful binoculars or a telescope to observe. It was discovered by astronomers from La Palma, Gran Canaria, and is classified as a near-Earth asteroid.