NASA reveals a 60-foot-tall asteroid will pass 1.03 million kilometers from Earth; know how fast it’s approaching

NASA said that as many as four asteroids passed by the Earth yesterday, the largest of which was nearly 140 feet wide, equivalent to the size of an airplane. The close approach of near-Earth objects (NEOs) such as asteroids is a reminder of the ongoing threat posed by celestial bodies and the importance of monitoring their trajectories. Using its advanced space and ground-based telescopes, NASA has revealed that another asteroid is expected to fly by Earth tomorrow (March 22). Learn all about this close encounter.

Also read: Asteroid Bennu samples collected by NASA hold the building blocks of life!

Asteroid 2024 FK1: Details

According to NASA, the asteroid is just one of many that exist in the main asteroid belt, between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. The Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) named it asteroid 2024 FK1. It is expected to pass the Earth tomorrow at a distance of 1.03 million kilometers.

The space agency further revealed that the asteroid is moving around the sun in its orbit at a speed of approximately 27,031 kilometers per hour. This is even faster than an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM)!

NASA said the asteroid belongs to the Atton group, which are near-Earth asteroids (NEAs) that transit the Earth and have a semi-major axis smaller than the Earth’s major axis. They are named after the asteroid 2062 Aten, the first such planet discovered on January 7, 1976 by American astronomer Eleanor Helin at the Palomar Observatory.

Also read: Plane-sized asteroid will narrowly pass Earth

How big is it?

The size of this asteroid is almost 60 feet across. Therefore, it can be compared to a house. Although it will fly close to Earth, NASA says there is nothing to worry about as it is not expected to hit the Earth or cause any potential damage. Despite this, it was designated a near-Earth asteroid (NEA) due to its close proximity during its latest approach.

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