NASA Announces Giant Asteroid the Size of Empire State Building to Pass Earth Today

NASA monitors asteroids by utilizing both ground-based and space-based telescopes. The Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS), which is funded by NASA, examines the night sky for any moving objects and notifies authorities of potential asteroid sightings. Additionally, certain space-based observatories, such as the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) and the NEOWISE mission, employ infrared sensors to identify asteroids and gather data about their characteristics. With the help of these advanced instruments, NASA has recently disclosed details about a 1200-foot Potentially Hazardous Asteroid that is expected to pass by Earth today. Stay informed about this significant event.

Asteroid 2019 HH4 information

The asteroid, named Asteroid 2019 HH4, has fascinated scientists because of its enormous size. According to NASA, the asteroid is estimated to be about 1,200 feet across, comparable in size to the famous Empire State Building! When asteroid 2019 HH4 hits a planet, it could cause massive destruction, especially if it were to land in a densely populated area given its enormity. For this reason, the space rock is classified as a “potentially hazardous asteroid”.

This space rock is already on its way to Earth at an amazing speed of 72066 kilometers per hour, which is even faster than the space shuttle! Asteroid 2019 HH4 is expected to pass Earth at a distance of 5 million kilometers.

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.

Help NASA track asteroids

Want to search for asteroids in space and help NASA track them? NASA is running a new Daily Minor Planet Project through which astronomers and skywatchers can help the space agency discover new asteroids and track them in new datasets. But why do we need to follow them? According to NASA, some of these ancient space rocks pose a potential impact threat to Earth, while others may be useful in discovering the secrets of space. Although asteroids are located far out in space, mainly in the asteroid belt, they often come close to the earth, passing close to the planet.