Asteroid 2024 CJ1 belongs to the Apollo group of asteroids, according to NASA. Check details. (Pixabay)

Today, NASA reports that Apollo asteroid will zoom past Earth at an astonishing speed of 27463 kmph.

Febin MathewFebruary 10, 24 asteroids, NASA

Asteroids, according to NASA, are remnants from the early formation of our solar system about 4.6 billion years ago. Scientists have discovered through experiments that these ancient rocky objects, although capable of causing catastrophic damage if they collide with Earth, can also serve as a valuable resource. To prevent potential collisions, space agencies monitor the paths of these space rocks and have devised methods to track and redirect them if necessary.

NASA has now shed light on its technology using an asteroid that is expected to fly past Earth today, February 9th. Know all about this close approach.

Asteroid 2024 CJ1: Speed, Size, Distance and More

According to data from NASA’s CNEOS (Center for Near-Earth Object Studies), the asteroid has been named Asteroid 2024 CJ1. This space rock is expected to pass the Earth today at a distance of only 367,000 kilometers, which is closer to the Earth than the Moon! It will be one of the closest asteroid approaches to date in 2024. The asteroid is already orbiting Earth at a speed of 27463 kilometers per hour, comparable to Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs)!

Asteroid 2024 CJ1 belongs to Apollo’s group of Near-Earth Asteroids, which are extraterrestrial space rocks with semi-major axes greater than the Earth’s axis. These asteroids are named after the huge 1862 Apollo asteroid discovered by German astronomer Karl Reinmuth in the 1930s.

According to NASA, this is not the first time asteroid 2024 CJ1 has come close to Earth. It passed the planet for the first time on January 12, 2018 at a distance of about 65 million kilometers. After today, it will pass the planet again this year on July 17 at a distance of 57 million kilometers.

How big is it?

NASA says Asteroid 2024 CJ1 is nearly the size of a bus and nearly 22 feet across. However, it has been considered non-threatening and has not been classified as a potentially hazardous object, meaning it poses no danger to Earth.