Two asteroids may narrowly pass by Earth today, NASA says.Check size, speed, etc.

To discover, track and monitor asteroids, NASA has employed several technological marvels. The NEOWISE telescope, Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), Pans-STARRS1 and Catalina Sky Survey are some of the space and ground-based telescopes and satellites used by the space agency. Since there is a history of asteroids hitting the Earth and causing catastrophic damage, we must pay close attention to them for any potential impact. NASA has now revealed that two asteroids will narrowly pass by Earth today (April 4).

Also read: 10 Stunning Nebula Snapshots Taken by NASA

Asteroid 2021 FD1: Details

The first asteroid to pass by the Earth today was named asteroid 2021 FD1 by NASA’s Center for Astronomical Object Studies (CNEOS). It is estimated to be only 897,000 kilometers away from Earth. According to NASA, it travels at a speed of 31,854 kilometers per hour in orbit, which is much faster than an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM)!

In terms of dimensions (feet wide), Asteroid 2021 FD1 is 52 feet wide, almost as big as a house. 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: James Webb Space Telescope – 10 spectacular images of celestial objects

Asteroid 2023 GC2: Details

The second asteroid that will pass by Earth is named asteroid 2023 GC2. During today’s close approach, it will be nearly 3.3 million kilometers from Earth and orbiting at a speed of 20,464 kilometers per hour.

In terms of size, the Asteroid 2023 GC2 is smaller than the Asteroid 2021 FD1, measuring only 38 feet wide, making it almost as big as a bus. NASA said the asteroid belongs to the Aton 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 first asteroid 2062 Aten discovered by American astronomer Eleanor Helin on January 7, 1976 at the Palomar Observatory.

Also read: What is an asteroid? How does ESA track them?

It is worth noting that although these two asteroids are called near-Earth asteroids due to their close passage, they are not expected to hit the Earth.

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