NASA reveals that three Apollo asteroids will pass by Earth today; details on speed, size, and more available
In January 2024, there were multiple asteroid approaches, and this trend is expected to continue in February. NASA’s telescopes play a crucial role in spotting these Near-Earth Asteroids (NEAs). Astronomers track the asteroids’ positions in the sky and report them to the Minor Planet Center. The Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) then analyzes this data to calculate the asteroid’s orbit around the Sun. With its advanced technology, NASA has identified three asteroids that are predicted to pass by Earth on February 19. More information can be found by checking the details.
Asteroid 2024 CV8
NASA CNEOS has named the first asteroid to pass Earth today as Asteroid 2024 CV8. It is expected to pass the Earth at a distance of only 451,000 km. According to the US space agency, it orbits at a speed of 61,607 kilometers per hour, which is almost as fast as the space shuttle!
Is it nearly 64 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 CJ6
Another asteroid, named Asteroid 2024 CJ6, is orbiting Earth at a speed of 55,435 kilometers per hour. NASA expects this space rock to fly past Earth today at a distance of about 1.7 million kilometers.
In terms of size, Asteroid 2024 CJ6 is nearly 56 feet wide, which means it’s also the size of a house. The asteroid also belongs to the Apollo asteroid group.
Asteroid 2024 DC
The last asteroid to pass Earth today is named Asteroid 2024 DC. It will come as close to the planet as 4.7 million kilometers and is already orbiting the Sun at a speed of 33306 kilometers per hour. Asteroid 2024 DC is the largest of these, measuring nearly 52 feet across. It also belongs to the group of Apollo 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.
