Asteroid 2024 NF hurtling towards Earth will come extremely close on this date
Asteroid representational image
NASA's latest asteroid alert is about an aeroplane-sized space rock hurtling towards Earth at a speed of 73,055 km/hr. The space agency has released a list of asteroids that will come close to our planet in the next 8-9 days. The biggest of these is the 220-foot (67 metre) asteroid named 2024 NF. It will make its closest approach to Earth on July 17.
Does it pose a danger to Earth?
As per NASA, only those space bodies that make an approach as close as 4.6 million miles and are bigger than 150 metresin size pose a danger. However, since asteroid 2024 NF is only about 67 metres in size, it is not going to cause any damage. Notably, the asteroid will come as close as three million miles, as per NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory data.
NASA regularly keeps an eye out for near-Earth objects that can pose a danger. There are four more asteroids that are going to come close to Earth in the coming days. But their sheer size means that they will not cause any harm.
Asteroid 2024 BY15 is approaching Earth on July 16 and will be 3.85 million miles from Earth at its closest point.
Asteroid 2024 NJ3 will be extremely close to Earth at 762,000 miles on July 17, but it is merely 47 feet in length.
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On July 21, another asteroid will fly close by. Asteroid 2024 MG1, 55 metres in length, will be 2.64 million miles away from Earth.
Also Read:NASA shares stunning images of a space get-away captured by Webb and Chandra
Why does NASA monitor asteroids?
Asteroids have the ability to cause major destruction to planets. The space agency regularly keeps an eye on near-Earth objects which can be classified as hazardous based on criteria. Besides protecting the planet against any impending doom, monitoring asteroids also lets NASA study these celestial visitors. By learning about their movement and travel patterns, scientists can devise ways to create safety plans for the future in case a potentially hazardous asteroid threatens Earth.
The DART is one such mission which aims to destroy an asteroid in the event of it becoming a threat to our planet. As part of the mission, scientists hit an asteroid to better understand how an asteroid can be deflected in the future. The DART mission broke the asteroid into several pieces, many of which are likely to hit Mars.
