Asteroid 2023 QW belongs to the Apollo group of asteroids. (Pixabay)Space 

NASA Tracking Size and Speed of Asteroid Set to Pass Earth Closely Today

Did you know that an asteroid actually collided with Earth this year? NASA recently disclosed that on February 15, a space rock weighing 1000 pounds and measuring 2 feet wide entered our atmosphere, creating a fiery spectacle and shattering into fragments approximately 21 miles above the Earth’s surface. The remnants of this asteroid were discovered near McAllen, Texas. Local law enforcement agencies in the McAllen area received numerous reports from residents who heard a powerful explosion. NASA estimates that the asteroid was moving at a speed of around 43000 kilometers per hour and possessed an energy equivalent to approximately 8 tons of TNT.

Although not expected to hit Earth, NASA has warned that another space rock will make a fairly close pass today, August 23. Know all the details.

Asteroid 2023 QW: Details

The asteroid, named Asteroid 2023 QW, is heading towards Earth and could make its closest approach to the planet today, August 23rd. NASA revealed these details after tracking the asteroid’s orbit using its various satellites and space and ground-based telescopes. . According to the details, Asteroid 2023 QW is expected to make its closest approach to the planet at a distance of only 1.6 million kilometers and at a speed of 58848 kilometers per hour.

It belongs to Apollo’s group of Near-Earth Asteroids, which are Earth-passing 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.

According to NASA, Asteroid 2023 QW is not classified as a potentially hazardous object due to its relatively small size. Only objects larger than 492 feet in diameter are considered hazardous. By comparison, Asteroid 2023 QW is only 71 feet across, making it almost the size of a small airplane.

Asteroid Apophis

An asteroid that was previously expected to hit Earth is now considered safe. However, it will come close enough to the planet this decade to allow scientists to study it. This asteroid is called 99942 Apophis and has been named Asteroid 2004 MN4 by NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Research. According to NASA, asteroid 99942 Apophis will make a very close pass to Earth on April 13, 2029. On that day, this space rock will come as close as 38,000 kilometers from Earth’s surface. This is closer than many geostationary satellites orbiting the planet.

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