A quartet of huge asteroids are zooming by Earth this week, however they will all cross our planet with tens of millions of miles to spare, in keeping with NASA.
The near-Earth asteroids are all passing inside 4.6 million miles (7.5 million kilometers) of our planet — shut sufficient to make NASA’s probably hazardous asteroid (PHA) record — however none will come nearer than 2.2 million miles (3.5 million km), in keeping with NASA’s weekly chart of asteroid passes (opens in new tab).
In accordance with our sister site Livescience (opens in new tab), this week’s huge space rock flybys begin with the asteroid 2012 DK31 (opens in new tab), which measures about 450 ft (137 meters) throughout — wider than a 40-story skyscraper is tall. It handed inside 3 million miles (4.8 million km) of Earth on Monday (Feb. 27). Whereas 2012 DK31’s shut method distance meets NASA’s PHA necessities, the company has projected its path for the following 200 years and located it will not pose an impact risk to Earth, Livescience reported.
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A second huge asteroid known as 2006 BE55 (opens in new tab) will fly by Earth right this moment (Feb. 28) and is the one passing inside 2.2 million miles of our planet. At 450 ft throughout, this asteroid is about the identical measurement as 2023 DK31 and takes as much as 5 years to orbit the Earth, according to Livescience (opens in new tab).
On Friday (March 3), two extra huge asteroids will cross the Earth, together with the most important of the week’s 4 close-flying space rocks.
First, there’s asteroid 2007 ED125 (opens in new tab). It is about 700 ft (213 m) throughout, making it the dimensions of a big soccer stadium and the biggest of the week’s asteroid flybys. It will likely be practically 2.8 million miles (4.4 million km) from Earth throughout its flyby, in keeping with NASA. The second giant asteroid is 2021 QW (opens in new tab), which is 250 ft (76 m) throughout and can cross inside 3.3 million miles (5.3 million km) of Earth.
There are literally two extra asteroids flying by Earth on Friday (March 3), however each are in regards to the measurement of a big airplane — a lot smaller than 2007 ED125 and 2021 QW. One, known as 2017 BM123 (opens in new tab), is 190 ft (58 m) large and can cross inside practically 2.9 million miles (4.6 million km).
The opposite is a newly found asteroid known as 2023 DX and can cross inside 1.2 million miles (2 million km) of Earth. It was first detected on Monday (Feb. 27), according to NASA (opens in new tab).
NASA researchers and different scientists all over the world frequently scan the skies for asteroids which will one day pose an affect threat to Earth. House rocks bigger than 492 ft (150 m) with orbits that cross inside 4.6 million miles (7.4 million km) of Earth are thought of to be probably hazardous objects.
Along with observing and monitoring asteroids with telescopes, astronomers can use radio antennas like NASA’s Goldstone facility with the Deep House Community to make radar observations of passing space rocks.
Electronic mail Tariq Malik at tmalik@space.com (opens in new tab) or comply with him @tariqjmalik (opens in new tab). Comply with us @Spacedotcom (opens in new tab), Facebook (opens in new tab) and Instagram (opens in new tab).
