Numerous asteroids are making their way toward the Earth today, but the planet is safe.
5 Asteroids Are Approaching Earth Tuesday (Feb. 2)
NASA has been eyeing the asteroids coming close to the planet to ensure our safety. This week, five space rocks are making flybys on the Earth on the same day.
According to Jet Propulsion Laboratory, five asteroids are making their closest approach, and the largest one is about the size of an airplane.
This space rock measures approximately 13 meters (43 feet) and is about the same size as a house. It will make its closest approach to Earth at 1,680,000 kilometers (1,040,000 miles).
This asteroid is smaller than the first one as it only measures 8 meters (26 feet) and is about the size of a bus. It is the smallest among the five space rocks. It will make its closest approach to the planet at 2,230,000 kilometers (1,390,000 miles).
Among the five asteroids making their way toward the Earth today, 2023 BY4 is the biggest space rock. It is approximately 40 meters (130 feet) and is about the size of an airplane. It will make its closest approach to the planet at 4,930,000 kilometers (3,060,000 miles).
The asteroid is close in size to 2023 BP5, but it is slightly bigger. 2017 DU34 measures 15 meters (49 feet). It will be closest to the planet by 5,080,000 kilometers (3,160,000 miles).
This space rock is also about the size of an airplane but slightly smaller than the 2023 BY4. It is approximately 29 meters (95 feet) wide. It will make its closest approach to Earth at 5,990,000 kilometers (3,720,000 miles).
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ESA Hunt For Dangerous Asteroids
Near-Earth objects (NEO) that come close to the Earth as they orbit the Sun are being assessed to check if they pose a threat to the planet by NASA and ESA. Asteroids orbiting the Sun and making a close approach to the planet are considered Near-Earth objects, and in most cases, they don't pose a threat.
According to ESA, the size of the asteroids determines the damage they bring if they collide with the Earth. Some space rocks are very large and could cause massive destruction in case they strike the planet. However, they are small in population, and 90% are thought to have been discovered. None pose any risk of impact.
Some space rocks are small, measuring below 10 meters in diameter. However, only a few have been discovered. The good thing is that they are too small to make an impact and are usually considered harmless.
The space rocks making their close approaches to Earth today are not huge enough and are not expected to get too close to make an impact.
RELATED ARTICLE: NASA's DART Spacecraft Worked! Asteroid Killer Changed the Harmless Space Rock's Orbit More Than Expected
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