Several asteroids will shortly approach our planet closely yet safely, NASA said. Every day, new near-Earth asteroids are found, especially cunning little ones that have evaded earlier notice.
An illustration, created in March 2021, of NASA’s Psyche spacecraft, which is targeted to launch to the main asteroid belt in August 2022 to investigate the metal-rich asteroid Psyche.
Giraffe-Sized Asteroid To Safely Drop By And Say Hello, NASA Says
One of the asteroids that will "sneakily" pass Earth on Thursday, July 7, is 2022 NF. It was discovered for the first time on Monday. The asteroid is about the size of an adult giraffe and a large shipping container, measuring between 18 and 40 feet (5.5 and 12 meters) wide. It will be around 56,000 miles (90,000 kilometers) from Earth at its closest. Although it's close by, there's no need to worry.
The Virtual Telescope Project will provide a live feed of the asteroid's passage beginning at 2:00 PM PT (3:00 PM ET) on July 6. Gianluca Masi, the inventor of VTP, describes it as a "very near encounter" because it is only 23% of the usual lunar distance.
It is a little asteroid travelling quickly, according to CNET. In contrast to a field of stars, it will seem as a dot of light. The fact that it can be monitored and livestreamed, providing a global shared view of space, is astounding.
Dainty 2022 NF's finding is evidence of current advancements in asteroid detection. The NASA JPL Center for Near Earth Object Studies monitors our space environment for any potential risks while tracking thousands of asteroids. So far, the outlook for the near future is favorable, particularly in light of the recent removal of the asteroid 2021 QM1 from a risk list after researchers ruled out a potential impact in 2052.
ALSO READ: European Space Agency (ESA) Says Riskiest Asteroid Won't Hit Earth in 2052
Another Asteroid To Make Safe Pass By in September
Another report, citing NASA, mentioned that another asteroid will make a close approach to Earth in two months. On Sept. 24, a tiny near-Earth asteroid (or NEA) will quickly fly through Earth's vicinity at roughly 22,000 kilometers (13,000 miles) above the planet's surface. It will make its closest approach at 7:12 AM EDT over the Southeast Pacific Ocean, according to CNEOS scientists.
The geostationary satellite ring, which orbits the Earth at a distance of around 36,000 kilometers (22,000 miles), will be just underneath the asteroid when it approaches.
Scientists determine that 2020 SW is around 15 to 30 feet (5 to 10 meters) broad, or about the size of a small school bus, based on its brightness. The space rock is not on a course that would bring it close to Earth, but if it were, it would almost likely fragment high in the atmosphere, generating a brilliant meteor known as a fireball.
Follow-up observations after asteroid 2020 SW was found on Sept. 18 by the NASA-funded Catalina Sky Survey in Arizona established its orbital course with excellent precision, eliminating any possibility of a collision.
The asteroid will continue traveling around the Sun after its close encounter with Earth this year and won't make another close approach to the planet until 2041.
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