The Earth is gearing up for a celestial spectacle as a series of asteroids are scheduled to pass by our planet in the upcoming week, starting from January 29th. News reports highlight that among the five asteroids approaching, one is expected to be as large as a FIFA-accredited stadium. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is closely monitoring these celestial events and has provided details on their Asteroid Watch website.
The largest of these space rocks, Asteroid 2008 OS7, discovered by NASA in 2008, will make its close encounter with Earth on February 2nd, 2024. Zooming past at a distance of 1.77 million miles, this may seem far in cosmic terms but is considered relatively close. This massive asteroid is expected to be on the radar of astronomy enthusiasts and experts alike.
Apart from 2008 OS7, four other asteroids of varying sizes are set to make their appearances. Ranging from the size of a house to that of a building, these space rocks are poised to traverse near Earth in the coming days.
In a separate development, Japan’s space agency has reported a successful lunar mission. Despite an unconventional upside-down landing, the agency considers it a demonstration of their pinpoint landing system. This accomplishment adds to the ongoing exploration of the moon by various space agencies.
Details regarding the schedule of asteroid flybys have been provided. Asteroid 2024 AU4, approximately 260 feet wide, will pass at a safe distance of 3.92 million miles on Sunday. Tuesday will witness the flyby of 2007 EG, roughly the size of an airplane, at 3.8 million miles. Thursday brings two more encounters: Asteroid 2024 BY, the size of a house, passing at 1.57 million miles, and Asteroid 2003 BM4, airplane-sized, at 2.06 million miles.
For context, the average distance between Earth and the moon is about 239,000 miles, and to the sun, it is about 93 million miles, according to NASA. While most near-Earth objects (NEOs) maintain safe distances, some, known as potentially hazardous asteroids (PHAs), warrant more attention due to their size and proximity. NASA defines PHAs as those larger than 500 feet and coming within 4.7 million miles of Earth.
Among the potentially hazardous asteroids is Apophis, dubbed the ‘God of Chaos.’ Measuring about 370 yards across, it is a significant space rock that has caught NASA’s attention. In December, NASA launched OSIRIS-APEX to study Apophis, set to make a close pass by Earth at an astonishing distance of 20,000 miles in 2029. NASA considers this the closest a large asteroid has come to Earth since recorded history began.
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