2 150-Foot Asteroids Are Making a Close Approach to Earth on Maundy Thursday, NASA Warns

NASA has released the next five asteroids that will be approaching Earth. The biggest of the five are both making a flyby on Friday.

Next Five Asteroids Approaching Earth

National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Jet Propulsion Laboratory updated the site to reflect the next five asteroids visiting our planet. Two of the five were estimated to be 150-foot, and both would make their closest approach to Earth on the same day.

Here are the five asteroids that are making a flyby this week.

2023 FA7

The space rock is approximately 92 feet (28 meters), about the size of an airplane, according to the U.S. space agency. It will make its closest approach at 2, 250,000 kilometers (1,400,00 miles) on Tuesday (April 4).

2023 GE

Asteroid 2023 GE is the smallest among the five asteroids. It is approximately 35 feet (11 meters), about the size of a bus.

It will make its closest approach to the planet by 913,000 kilometers (568,000 miles) on Wednesday (April 5).

2023 FQ7

This space rock is bigger than 2023 GE but smaller than 2023 FA7. It is approximately 65 feet (20 meters), or about the size of a house.

It will approach Earth closely at about 5,750,000 kilometers (3,570,000) on the same day as 2023 GE - on Wednesday (April 5).

2023 FZ3

Asteroid 2023 FZ3 is one of the biggest space rocks making a close approach to Earth this week. The airplane-size asteroid is estimated to measure 150 feet (46 meters).

It will make its closest approach at 4,190,000 kilometers (2,610,000 miles) on Maundy Thursday (April 6).

2018 FD

This space rock is an estimated size similar to 2023 FZ3 and will closely approach Earth on the same day - Maundy Thursday.

This airplane-size asteroid will make the closest approach to Earth at 6,200,000 kilometers (3,850,000 miles).

Are the 2 Asteroids a Threat?

2018 FD and 2023 FZ3 will safely pass the Earth. They are not a potentially hazardous threat to our planet, NDTV reported.

The outlet noted that 30,000 asteroids of all sizes are recorded in the vicinity of the Earth. Over 850 are larger than a kilometer wide. They are labeled as Nearth-Earth objects (NEOs), and none threaten Earth for the next 100 years.

In a previous report from Science Times, a 1,100-foot asteroid named 99942 Apophis, about three football fields in size, will approach Earth in 2029. According to the experts, we are safe as there are no chances of collision in at least the next decade.

Apophis is still considered nothing extraordinary because no other space rock has passed closer to Earth, anything near its size. It will make a flyby on Earth on April 13, 2029.

It will pass roughly 31,000 kilometers (19,000 miles) above the Earth's surface. It will not appear like a fireball across the skies. However, it will be visible from some areas of Europe and Africa to the naked eye.

Check out more news and information on Space in Science Times.

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