900-foot wide asteroid and four others tracked hurtling towards Earth, NASA reveals

The Earth is constantly under threat from asteroids that could potentially impact the planet and cause massive damage. NASA and other space agencies are constantly monitoring the near-Earth objects (NEOs) that pose a potential hazard to our planet. In the past few months, several asteroids have passed by Earth at extremely close distances, and now five more are set to come close in the next few days. NASA has revealed details such as the speed, distance, and size of these asteroids.

Asteroid 2023 LG2

The first asteroid that will make an extremely close approach to the planet is Asteroid 2023 LG2. This asteroid is about 80 feet wide and will approach Earth at a distance of 2.1 million kilometers on July 1. It is travelling at a speed of nearly 9933 kilometers per hour, according to NASA.

Asteroid 2020 NC

The second asteroid that is heading towards Earth is Asteroid 2020 NC. This asteroid is almost 600 feet wide, which is almost the size of a skyscraper. It is travelling at a speed of almost 27873 kilometers per hour and will pass by Earth on July 2. It will make its closest approach at a distance of 5.3 million kilometers, which is about 14 times the distance between the Earth and the Moon.

Asteroid 2023 MT1

The third asteroid that will zoom past Earth is Asteroid 2023 MT1. This asteroid is nearly 78 feet wide and is moving at a speed of 18754 kilometers per hour. It will make its closest approach to Earth on July 3 at a distance of 1.1 million kilometers, which is about three times the distance between the Earth and the Moon.

Asteroid 2023 HO6

The fourth asteroid that will fly by Earth is Asteroid 2023 HO6. This asteroid is almost feet wide and is travelling at a blistering speed of 27969 kilometers per hour. It will make its closest approach to Earth on July 5 at a distance of 2 million kilometers, which is about five times the distance between the Earth and the Moon.

Asteroid 2023 ME4

The fifth and the largest asteroid that will come close to Earth is Asteroid 2023 ME4. This asteroid is almost 900 feet wide, which is about three times the length of a football field. It is travelling at a breakneck speed of 38405 kilometers per hour and will make its closest approach to Earth on July 6 at a distance of 1.1 million kilometers, which is about three times the distance between the Earth and the Moon.

How dangerous are these asteroids?

According to NASA, none of these asteroids are expected to impact the Earth, as they will all miss the planet by safe distances. However, they are still classified as potentially hazardous asteroids (PHAs) because they have orbits that bring them within 7.5 million kilometers of Earth's orbit and are larger than 140 meters in diameter. NASA estimates that there are about 25,000 PHAs in our solar system, but only about one-third of them have been detected so far. NASA uses various telescopes and missions to track and study these asteroids and to develop strategies to prevent or mitigate any potential impact in the future.

What if an asteroid hits the Earth?

While the chances of a large asteroid hitting the Earth are very low, it is not impossible. In fact, NASA has recently revealed that an asteroid struck the Earth in November last year, but it was missed by all the telescopes and was detected just hours before impact. The asteroid was about three feet across and lit up the sky as it flew over Southern Ontario, Canada on November 19. It likely burned up upon entering the atmosphere and scattered small meteorites over the southern coastline of Lake Ontario.

If a larger asteroid were to hit the Earth, it could cause significant damage depending on its size, speed, composition, and impact location. For example, an asteroid that hit near Chelyabinsk, Russia in February 2013 was about 20 meters across and exploded in the air with a force equivalent to about 500 kilotons of TNT. It injured over 1,000 people and damaged thousands of buildings due to its shockwave. An even larger asteroid that hit near Chicxulub, Mexico about 66 million years ago was about 10 kilometers across and caused a global mass extinction event that wiped out most of the dinosaurs and many other species.

To prevent such catastrophic events, NASA and other space agencies are working on various methods to deflect or destroy any incoming asteroids that pose a threat to Earth. Some of these methods include using kinetic impactors, gravity tractors, nuclear explosives, or lasers to alter the orbit or break up the asteroid. However, these methods are still in development and require a lot of testing and coordination before they can be implemented.

Conclusion

Asteroids are fascinating objects that can teach us a lot about the history and evolution of our solar system. However, they can also pose a danger to our planet if they come too close or impact the surface. Therefore, it is important to monitor and study these asteroids and to develop ways to protect ourselves from any potential impact. NASA and other space agencies are doing their best to track and characterize these asteroids and to prepare for any possible scenarios. As citizens of Earth, we can also do our part by staying informed and supporting these efforts.

Source: 

(1) 900-foot wide asteroid, 4 others, tracked hurtling towards Earth, NASA .... https://tech.hindustantimes.com/photos/900foot-wide-asteroid-4-others-tracked-hurtling-towards-earth-nasa-reveals-71688109115831.html.

(2) NASA issues warning! Asteroid as big as an aircraft hurtling towards .... https://tech.hindustantimes.com/tech/news/nasa-issues-warning-asteroid-as-big-as-an-aircraft-hurtling-towards-earth-today-71675313708328.html.

(3) A nearly 100-ft asteroid is approaching Earth today, says NASA. https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/science/98-foot-asteroid-2022-wu11-zooming-towards-earth-today/story.

(4) 900 ft wide asteroid: ಭೂಮಿ ಕಡೆಗೆ ಮುನ್ನುಗ್ಗುತ್ತಿದೆ 900 ಅಡಿ ಅಗಲದ .... https://kannada.hindustantimes.com/photos/photos-science-news-900-foot-wide-asteroid-4-others-tracked-hurtling-towards-earth-nasa-reveals-uks-181688129035134.html.

FAQ's

What is the NASA asteroid warning for April 2023?

NASA has issued a warning regarding an alarming asteroid that is on its way, which will come dangerously close to Earth. This asteroid, known as Asteroid 2023 JD, will get astonishingly close to earth at just 821,000 miles.

Is there an asteroid approaching Earth in 2023?

Asteroid 2023 LZ passes Earth At 18:36 UTC (1:36 p.m. CDT) on June 14, 2023, newly discovered asteroid 2023 LZ passed Earth inside the moon's orbit. The asteroid spans about 33 to 105 feet (10 to 32 meters). Or, as NASA said on its website, it's house-sized.

Is the asteroid passing Earth in June 2023?

Earth is about to have a close encounter with a space rock. Tonight (June 25), the near-Earth asteroid 2023 MU2 will pass within 134,000 miles (215,000 kilometers) of Earth, or just about 60% of the average distance from our planet to the moon.

How big is asteroid 2023 DW?

Asteroid 2023 DW was first observed on February 26, 2023. Scientists think it's about 50 meters in diameter and currently 22 million kilometers (13.7 million miles) from Earth.