NASA reports that four asteroids will approach Earth today; Details on speed, size and more available
In 2024, the trend of frequent asteroid approaches has persisted, with NASA using its advanced telescopes to identify four asteroids set to pass close to Earth on February 22. Although these asteroids do not pose a danger to Earth, their proximity serves as a reminder of the importance of monitoring their orbits regularly. See below for more information on the close approaches.
Asteroid 2024 DW
NASA CNEOS has named the first asteroid that passed by Earth today as Asteroid 2024 DW. It is expected to pass the Earth at a distance of only 225,000 km, which is even closer than the Moon! According to the US space agency, it orbits at a speed of 64,451 kilometers per hour, which is almost as fast as the space shuttle!
Is it nearly 42 feet wide, making it almost the size of a house. It belongs to the Apollo group of Near-Earth Asteroids, which are space rocks that pass through the Earth and whose semi-major axes are larger than the Earth’s axis. These asteroids are named after the huge 1862 Apollo asteroid discovered by German astronomer Karl Reinmuth in the 1930s.
Asteroid 2024 DX
Another asteroid, named Asteroid 2024 DX, is heading toward Earth in an orbit at a speed of 37,471 kilometers per hour. NASA expects this space rock to fly past Earth today at a distance of about 775,000 kilometers.
Size-wise, Asteroid 2024 DX is nearly 39 feet wide, which means it’s also the size of a bus. The asteroid also belongs to the Apollo asteroid group.
Asteroid 2024 CE8
The third asteroid to pass Earth today has been named Asteroid 2024 CE8. It will come as close to the planet as 4.05 million kilometers and is already orbiting the Sun at a speed of 67,818 kilometers per hour. Asteroid 2024 CE8 is nearly 90 feet across. It also belongs to the group of Apollo asteroids.
Asteroid 2024 DJ1
Asteroid 2024 DJ1 is the last asteroid to pass Earth today. It is expected to pass the Earth at a distance of about 4.8 million kilometers and travel at a speed of 48468 kilometers per hour. This asteroid is the largest of them all, measuring about 111 feet across. It also belongs to the Apollo group of near-Earth asteroids.
It is important to note that although all three asteroids have been called near-Earth asteroids due to their close proximity, they are not expected to actually collide with the planet.
