NASA Alerts: Stadium-Sized Asteroid Approaching Earth
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is currently monitoring a significant asteroid, designated as 2024 ON, which is set to make a close approach to Earth this Tuesday. This asteroid has been classified as “potentially hazardous,” raising interest and concern among scientists and space enthusiasts alike.
Dimensions and Distance of 2024 ON
NASA reports that asteroid 2024 ON measures an impressive 350 meters in length and 180 meters in width, equivalent to approximately 1,150 feet by 590 feet. These dimensions are larger than previous estimates suggested, earning it the title of “stadium-sized.” As of Tuesday morning, the asteroid was located about 621,000 miles away from our planet, a distance that is considered relatively close in astronomical terms.
Frequency of Close Encounters
According to Davide Farnocchia, a navigation engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, large asteroids like 2024 ON passing this close to Earth occurs only every five to ten years. Farnocchia highlighted that the last significant meteor event occurred in Russia in 2013, while Earth hasn’t experienced a collision from an asteroid of this size since prehistoric times.
Collision Risks: Not a Cause for Alarm
Despite its classification as a “potentially hazardous object,” Farnocchia reassured the public that there is no risk of 2024 ON striking Earth. For an asteroid to pose a threat, it would need to come within a few hundred miles of our planet. “We actively monitor the possibility of collision, not just for the immediate future but also for the next hundred years,” he stated. “Currently, there is no possibility of collision in the next century.”
Upcoming Asteroid Encounters
2024 ON is one of five asteroids that will pass by Earth in the next couple of days. However, the other four will remain much farther away, with distances ranging from 1.1 to 3.9 million miles. Three of these asteroids are relatively small, measuring around 51 feet in diameter, comparable to the size of a house. Notably, another asteroid, 2013 FW13, measures approximately 510 feet in diameter and is scheduled to pass by on Wednesday.
NASA’s Asteroid Watch Dashboard
NASA maintains an Asteroid Watch Dashboard that tracks asteroids and comets making relatively close approaches to Earth. According to data from the dashboard, 2024 ON was traveling at a speed of around 8.8 kilometers per second—nearly 20,000 miles per hour—on Tuesday morning.
This dashboard provides valuable information, including the date of closest approach, the approximate size of the object, and its distance from Earth. Objects larger than 150 meters that approach within 4.6 million miles are categorized as potentially hazardous.
As we continue to monitor these celestial bodies, public awareness and scientific vigilance remain crucial in understanding our cosmic neighborhood.
