Asteroid the Size of a House to Pass Close to Earth – Get the Facts

Asteroids, which are large space rocks, orbit in space and can pose a potential danger to Earth, according to NASA. However, some of these ancient space rocks can also provide valuable insights into the mysteries of space. While the majority of asteroids are found in the main asteroid belt between Jupiter and Mars, they frequently come close to Earth due to their orbits, sometimes within a few million kilometers. This proximity raises concerns about the possibility of these space rocks reaching our planet. History has shown that this is indeed possible, as asteroids can be diverted from their course by the gravitational pull of a large planet or due to their close encounters with Earth.

In a new development, NASA has shed light on the details of the asteroid that is expected to make its closest approach to Earth today. Know its speed, size, approach distance and more.

Asteroid 2023 SF6

NASA monitors asteroids, comets and other Near Earth Objects (NEOs) for possible close approaches that could threaten Earth. The space agency has issued a warning about an asteroid that will come very close to Earth today, September 27. According to the details, the asteroid, named Asteroid 2023 SF6, will pass the Earth at a distance of only 1.4 million kilometers. While not a planet killer, this asteroid is still larger than the Chelyabinsk asteroid that caused massive damage in 2013. With an estimated width of about 62 feet, it’s almost the size of a house.

The asteroid is not only passing the earth closely, but it is also hurtling towards us at breakneck speed. NASA has revealed that asteroid 2023 SF6 is approaching Earth at a speed of 62548 kilometers per hour!

Other details

The space agency has also revealed that it belongs to the Apollo group of Near-Earth Asteroids, which are beyond-Earth space rocks with semi-major axes larger than Earth’s. These asteroids are named after the huge 1862 Apollo asteroid discovered by German astronomer Karl Reinmuth in the 1930s.

Shockingly, this will be the first close-to-Earth approach in the history of Asteroid 2023 SF6. According to NASA’s Small-Body Database Lookup, it won’t get close in the near future.

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