A massive 720-foot asteroid called 2024 ON is set to make its closest pass to Earth today. The asteroid will safely pass Earth at a distance of 997,793 kilometers, which is 2.5 times the distance between Earth and the moon – considered safe for Earthlings, but a negligible distance by cosmic standards.
According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the speed of the asteroid is about 40,233 km/h, which is a bit worrying. The asteroid will reach closest to Earth on September 17.
The Atlas Sky Survey discovered asteroid 2024 ON on July 27. The event was live-streamed at virtualtelescope.eu/webtv starting on September 15 at 19:30 UTC (September 16 at 1:00 AM).
NASA is keeping a close eye on the event through its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) located in Pasadena, California. It uses optical telescopes to understand and study the composition, size, and shape of the asteroid.
If Asteroid 2024 ON hit Earth, it would cause massive damage. Its impact could have caused an explosion in the atmosphere, creating a massive shockwave. However, the asteroid passed safely, causing no damage to Earth.
NASA says its Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDCO) will track and deflect the space rock if necessary. Similar close encounters will occur about every 10 years, the JPL Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) reports.
It is very common for asteroids to fly past Earth. In fact, several asteroids like 2024 RQ5 (a bus-sized asteroid), 2024 RM10 (a plane-sized asteroid) and some others flew past Earth today without causing any trouble.
collision of asteroids with earth
Asteroid collisions are occurring more frequently than many people imagined. According to NASA, about 48.5 tons of meteorite material enter Earth's atmosphere each day, usually burning up as shooting stars.
However, larger objects are very rare. Asteroid collisions are quite difficult, but they are not impossible. To minimize the risk, NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) operate programs to detect, classify, and monitor near-Earth objects (NEOs). The efforts are aimed at ensuring preparedness for potential asteroid impacts.
first published: 16 September 2024 | 2:18 pm First