NP to UQ3: Five asteroids headed our way this week
Five asteroids, ranging from 46 feet to as large as 890 feet, will make a close approach to our home planet in the coming days. Out of the five, two space rocks will head closer to us than the Moon. However, we do not have to worry because all of them will cross Earth at safe distances, posing no threat. Let's take a look.
Why does this story matter?
Thanks to technological advancements, we are able to detect if any hazardous asteroids are headed on a collision course with our planet. NASA is also developing a mission, called NEO Surveyor, that will be able to spot space rocks that threaten the Earth. As far as current predictions are concerned, there is no asteroid that is expected to hit Earth in the near future.
NASA monitors asteroids that could come close to Earth
NASA regularly monitors comets and asteroids that could make "relatively close approaches to Earth." In particular, the space agency looks out for cosmic objects that come within 7.5 million kilometers of the planet. For reference, the Earth and the Moon are separated by a distance of about 3.85 million kilometers.
What is a potentially hazardous object?
Space objects measuring larger than about 492 feet and approaching Earth within a distance of 7.5 million kilometers are called potentially hazardous objects. One of the five asteroids classifies as a potentially hazardous asteroid (PHA) since it can make a "threatening close approach" to Earth.
This 65-foot asteroid made several close approaches in the past
On July 14, a house-sized space rock measuring about 65 feet, called 2023 NP, will make a close approach to our home planet. It will shoot past us at about five million kilometers. The same asteroid has made several close approaches to our planet in the past, starting from July 1931, according to NASA's database. This year, it crossed us in January.
On July 15, a house-sized space rock will cross us
The 2023 NY, a house-sized asteroid will shoot past our planet on July 15. Measuring 46 feet, the space rock will cross us at a distance of 4.42 million kilometers, traveling at a speed of about 2km/s. Interestingly, it is bound to make another close approach to Earth this year in December, followed by approaches in 2024, and 2025.
Another asteroid will cross us on July 16
On July 16, another asteroid will pass by us. Dubbed 2023 NW, the 100-foot space rock, roughly the size of an airplane, will cross us at a distance of six million kilometers. The space rock will be cruising at a speed of roughly 17km/s as it moves past us. It belongs to the Apollo class of asteroids, ones that cross the orbit of Earth.
2023 MG6 is a stadium-sized asteroid
Of the five asteroids, 2023 MG6 measures the largest, about 890 feet, the size of a stadium. It will cross us at a distance of 3.6 million kilometers on July 16. It ranks as a PHA, per NASA. The MG6 belongs to the Amor group of asteroids, also called Earth-approaching asteroids. These space rocks cross the orbit of Mars, but not that of Earth.
A 190-foot asteroid will cross us on July 18
On July 18, a 190-foot-sized space rock, called 2020 UQ3, will hurtle past the Earth. The airplane-sized asteroid will make a close approach to the planet at a distance of 1.2 million kilometers, coming closer than the distance of the Moon. It will be cruising at a speed of 9km/s. The 2020 UQ3 is classified as an Apollo-class asteroid.
