NASA reveals a massive 420-foot-tall asteroid is about to fly by Earth; know how close it will be

A large number of asteroids pass by the Earth. Just a few days ago, as many as four space rocks flew past Earth in one day. Although most asteroids that fly close to the Earth do not pose any threat to life or property, it is still necessary to track them to minimize the uncertainty of their close approaches. NASA has now released details of a 420-foot-wide asteroid that will narrowly pass by Earth tomorrow (March 23).

Also read: 60-foot asteroid will pass 1.03 million kilometers from Earth

Asteroid 2024 EU4

Asteroid 2024 EU4 is just one of many space rocks orbiting the sun in the main asteroid belt, between the orbits of Jupiter and Mars. Responsibility for tracking and classifying objects such as asteroids and comets falls to NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS). The organization has now revealed that asteroid 2024 EU4 will pass by Earth tomorrow at a distance of 7.2 million kilometers.

NASA further revealed that the asteroid is orbiting the sun at a speed of approximately 101,885 kilometers per hour. This is even faster than the space shuttle! It is one of two asteroids expected to pass close to Earth tomorrow, the other being 2024 EL4.

It belongs to the Apollo group of near-Earth asteroids, which are space rocks that pass through the Earth and have a semi-major axis that is larger than the Earth’s major axis. These asteroids are named after the giant 1862 Apollo asteroid, which was discovered by German astronomer Karl Reinmuth in the 1930s.

Also read: What are asteroids and how ESA tracks them

How big is it?

The size of this asteroid is almost 420 feet across. Therefore, it can be compared to an entire building! Although the asteroid is not expected to impact Earth, it is still designated a near-Earth asteroid (NEA) due to its relatively close proximity to Earth.

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