NASA reveals Apollo asteroid set to pass by Earth today; Learn all the details from its size to speed
In recent months, Earth has seen a significant increase in the number of asteroids passing by. Just yesterday, three asteroids came close to the planet, with two of them being as wide as an aircraft at 100 feet. While these close encounters are common, there is always a risk of a potential impact if the asteroids interact with the gravitational pull of a large planet like Jupiter. NASA has announced that another asteroid will be passing close to Earth today, April 3.
Asteroid 2024 FL3
According to NASA, Asteroid 2024 FL3 is just one of many asteroids orbiting the Sun. These space rocks are in the main asteroid belt, which lies between the orbits of Jupiter and Mars. NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies, or CNEOS, is responsible for tracking and classifying celestial bodies such as asteroids and comets.
This organization has now revealed that asteroid 2024 FL3 will pass Earth at a distance of 3.2 million kilometers. It orbits at about 34,675 kilometers per hour.
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.
How big is it?
According to NASA, Asteroid 2024 FL3 is 100 feet wide, making it almost the size of an airplane. Although the asteroid is not expected to hit Earth, it is still named a Near-Earth Asteroid (NEA) because of its proximity to the planet.
