NASA reveals Apollo asteroid will pass by Earth today; from size to speed, learn more

Asteroids have passed by Earth in large numbers in recent months. Just yesterday, as many as three asteroids narrowly passed by Earth. Two of the pieces are 100 feet wide, almost as big as an airplane. Although such space rocks have passed close to Earth many times, they are unlikely to impact the surface. However, this could change at any time if they interact with the gravitational field of a large planet like Jupiter, which could allow them to roll toward the planet, triggering a potential impact scenario. NASA has now revealed that another asteroid will orbit close to Earth today (April 3).

Also read: Three asteroids narrowly pass by Earth

Asteroid 2024 FL3

According to NASA, asteroid 2024 FL3 is just one of many asteroids in orbit around the sun. These space rocks are found in the main asteroid belt, which lies between the orbits of Jupiter and Mars. NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) is responsible for tracking and classifying celestial bodies such as asteroids and comets.

The organization currently reveals that asteroid 2024 FL3 will pass by the Earth at a distance of 3.2 million kilometers. It orbits at approximately 34,675 kilometers per hour.

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?

According to NASA, asteroid 2024 FL3 is 100 feet wide, almost as big as an airplane. Although the asteroid is not expected to hit Earth, it is still designated a near-Earth asteroid (NEA) due to its close proximity to Earth.

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