NASA Warns of 180-Foot Asteroid Heading Towards Earth: Here’s What We Know

Astronomer Istvan Szapudi from the University of Hawai’i Institute for Astronomy has come up with a new idea to protect Earth from the Sun’s harmful rays and combat climate change. This method involves creating a space-based shield or shade that is connected to an asteroid, serving as a counterweight. While asteroids have the potential to cause significant damage to our planet, they also offer valuable resources like water and minerals. Scientists study these space rocks to gain insights into the early solar system and the conditions during planet formation.

In the meantime, NASA has now revealed that an asteroid is set to pass very close to Earth today and has released details of its approach.

Asteroid 2023 PM: Details of the close approach

The Space Agency has issued a warning about an asteroid that will come very close to Earth today, August 22. According to details, the asteroid, named Asteroid 2023 PM, will pass Earth at a distance of about 3.6 million kilometers. NASA estimates this asteroid to be massive in size. At nearly 180 feet wide, it can be compared to a large airplane!

The asteroid not only misses the earth at close range, but is hurtling towards us at blistering speed. NASA has revealed that asteroid 2023 PM is approaching Earth at a speed of 25,083 kilometers per hour.

This space rock belongs to the Cupid group of Near-Earth Asteroids, which are near-Earth asteroids whose orbits are outside the Earth but inside Mars. The asteroid is named after the asteroid 1221 Amor, discovered in 1932 by the Belgian astronomer E. Delporte. .

Although the asteroid has passed Earth before, this flyby is its first close approach in history. According to data provided by NASA’s Small-Body Database Lookup, it is not expected to make another close approach in the near future. However, it will pass Earth in 2026 and again in 2029.