NASA has revealed that an asteroid will pass Earth at an extremely close distance on Friday, September 22. According to the details by NASA's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS), Asteroid 2023 RQ6 will make its first-ever approach to Earth on Friday.

NASA has revealed that an asteroid will pass Earth at an extremely close distance on Friday, September 22. According to the details by NASA's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS), Asteroid 2023 RQ6 will make its first-ever approach to Earth on Friday. Its orbit will bring the asteroid as close as 6.4 million kilometres near Earth. Although this distance might seem like a lot, it is short in astronomical sense. NASA has estimated its travelling speed as 33,912 kilometres per hour. NASA has not classified the Asteroid 2023 RQ6 as a Potentially Hazardous Object because it will not impact Earth's surface despite a close call. The asteroid is approximately 75 feet wide. Thus, it is not huge enough to be classified as a Potentially Hazardous Object. It is as big as an aircraft in terms of size. ALSO READ | Scientists find new virus at depths of Pacific Ocean Asteroid 2023 RQ6 belongs to the Apollo group of Near-Earth Asteroids, named after the giant 1862 Apollo asteroid, discovered by German astronomer Kerl Reinmuth in the 1930s. They are Earth-crossing space rocks with semi-major axes bigger than Earth's. Most asteroids found in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter can be observed with the help of advanced ground and space-based telescopes. However, scientists at NASA have recently observed three elusive asteroids hiding behind the glare of the Sun. ALSO READ | What's the source of CO2 on Jupiter's moon Europa? Scientists finally have answers According to the latest discovery made by NASA, one of these asteroids is a large object which can be potentially hazardous to Earth. A team used the Dark Energy Camera (DECam) mounted on Victor M. Blanco's 4-metre telescope in Chile to find and observe these asteroids. It is challenging to locate celestial objects in the region around the Sun, as astronomers have to deal with the Sun's glaze. Besides Asteroid 2023 RQ6, Asteroid 2023 SJ made its closest approach to Earth on September 21. It has a width between 52 feet and 118 feet. According to a recent report by the OSIRIS-REx science team, Bennu, a near-Earth asteroid, could drift into the planet's orbit and hit the planet by September 2182. NASA has been tracking Bennu, first discovered in 1999, for 25 years. Bennu passes near Earth every six years and has had three close encounters with Earth in 1999, 2005, and 2011. (With input from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Asteroid to make its first-ever close approach to Earth! NASA predicts

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