NASA Uncovers Asteroid Headed Towards Earth – Learn About Its Close Approach

The task of observing and tracking different Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) falls under the jurisdiction of NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office. Recently, this department has raised concerns about a specific asteroid known as Asteroid 2023 OD5. Among the vast number of asteroids discovered so far (1,298,148), this particular one is expected to come close to Earth in the near future. NASA’s cutting-edge ground and space-based telescopes and satellites have played a crucial role in identifying these celestial bodies.

Asteroid 2023 OD5: Details

Asteroid 2023 OD5 is a Near-Earth Asteroid (NEA) that is expected to make its closest approach to Earth today, August 1st. Although this space rock will come very close to the planet, it is not expected to hit the surface. According to NASA, asteroid 2023 OD5 will pass Earth at a distance of about 5.3 million kilometers.

It is already on its way to the planet and travels at a speed of 65,714 kilometers per hour. Although this asteroid passes very close to Earth, it is not large enough to be called a potentially hazardous asteroid. According to NASA, Asteroid 2023 OD5 is nearly 150 feet across, making it almost the size of an airplane!

The space agency has also revealed that Asteroid 2023 NP belongs to the group of Aten asteroids, which are near-Earth asteroids (NEAs) that cross the Earth, with semi-major axes smaller than Earth’s. They are named after the asteroid 2062 Ate, and the first of their kind was discovered by American astronomer Eleanor Helin at the Palomar Observatory on January 7, 1976.

Protection against asteroids

To combat the threat posed by asteroids, NASA has already conducted the first test of its planetary protection mission, DART, in 2022. The space agency rammed a spacecraft into an oncoming asteroid to deflect it out of its path, successfully testing the asteroid deflection method. In addition, ESA has a mission called NEOMIR, which acts as an early warning system for asteroids 20 meters and larger that cannot be seen from Earth.

Although NASA experts claim that an asteroid is not expected to hit Earth for at least the next 100 years, planetary defense countermeasures are important because they can help prevent loss of life if an asteroid strays toward Earth.