NASA discloses details about two asteroids approaching Earth today; Verify their speed, size, and other particulars
According to NASA, when NASA’s telescopes monitor a newly discovered Near-Earth Asteroid (NEA), astronomers record its observed positions in the sky and submit the information to the Minor Planet Center. The Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) utilizes this data to calculate the asteroid’s probable orbit around the Sun. The year 2024 has already witnessed several asteroid approaches in the initial two days, and this pattern is expected to persist today. On January 9, not just one, but two asteroids are anticipated to pass by Earth at a close distance. For more information, please refer to the provided details.
Asteroid 2024 AS1: Details
NASA CNEOS has named the first asteroid to pass Earth today as Asteroid 2024 AS1. It is expected to pass the Earth at a distance of only 580,000 km. According to NASA, it orbits at a speed of 60,425 kilometers per hour, which is much faster than Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBM)!
Size-wise, it’s only 39 feet wide, making it almost the size of a bus. 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.
Asteroid 2023 XN13: Details
Another asteroid, named Asteroid 2023 XN13, passes the Earth at a slower speed of 5177 kilometers per hour. NASA expects this space rock to fly past Earth at a distance of about 6 million kilometers today, January 5.
Asteroid 2023 XN13 is even smaller, measuring just 26 feet across. It also belongs to the group of Apollo asteroids.
It is important to note that although both asteroids have been called Near-Earth Asteroids due to their close proximity, they are not expected to actually collide with a planet.
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