Every year, several dozen asteroids in the 20-39 feet (6-12 meters) size range approach the Earth at a distance closer than the moon, although only a fraction of them are actually detected. Just recently, NASA has warned of a huge asteroid which will have a close flyby on Earth today.
Close Encounter With Earth
A massive asteroid almost the size of the Great Pyramid of Giza was detected at a close range to our planet. Officially named 2024 JZ, the 394-foot (120-meter) asteroid will pass the Earth at an astonishing speed of 56,000 miles per hour (90, 123 kilometers per hour). This is actually 65 times faster than a bullet.
Scientists assured that there is nothing to be worried about since 2042 JZ will safely pass our planet at a distance of 2.6 million miles (4.2 million kilometers). According to senior astronomer Dr. Edward Bloomer from Royal Greenwich Observatory, this event is not the kind we should be concerned about.
While this sounds far away, the space rock is still categorized by NASA as a near-Earth object (NEO). This is because while 2024 is at a perfectly safe distance at only 0.028 AU from Earth, this is considered relatively close in astronomical terms.
Another astronomical event will happen this evening as a small space rock named 2024 JT3 approaches the Earth at only 12,000 miles (19,300 kilometers). Still, the Earth is absolutely safe since the asteroid has no chance of hitting us, according to Juan Luis Cano from ESA's Planetary Defence Office. Cano noted that in any case, an object measuring 16-33 feet (5-10 meters) would usually disintegrate in the atmosphere, releasing small meteorites to the ground.
READ ALSO : How Hazardous Are Asteroids to Earth? Understanding Its Threat and the Reality of Near-Earth Encounters
Monitoring Near-Earth Objects
Near-Earth objects refer to comets and asteroids which have been pushed by the gravitational attraction of nearby planets into orbits, allowing them to enter our celestial neighborhood. Comets that belong to this family are originally formed in the cold outer planetary system and are mainly composed of water ice with embedded dust particles. Meanwhile, most of the rocky asteroids in this group are created in the warmer inner Solar System between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
In terms of distance, a NEO is any object that comes within 120.8 million miles (1.3 astronomical units) and hence within 27.8 million miles (0.3 astronomical units) of the Earth's orbit.
NASA defines asteroids as 'potentially hazardous' if they come within 4.56 million miles (0.05 astronomical units) of Earth and are larger than 459 feet (140 meters) in diameter. Large objects like 2024 JZ passing through the orbit of the Earth are so routinary that the ESA lists this space rock as a 'very frequent event.'
Majority of these objects burn up in the Earth's atmosphere and are seen as shooting stars. What makes them different from ordinary meteors, though, is the fact that they are large enough to pass through the atmosphere undestroyed.
NEOs are monitored by a group of professional and volunteer astronomers who spot objects passing through the Solar System. Through their efforts, dozens of near-Earth objects are detected each month and their paths are predicted with a high degree of accuracy.
RELATED ARTICLE : NASA Working On Stopping "City-Killer" Asteroids From Hitting Earth; How Prepared Is Humanity From Space Rocks?
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