200-foot asteroid, 3 other asteroids to pass Earth tomorrow, says NASA; Check size, speed and more

The last 3 days have been rare, with no asteroid passing by Earth. However, that trend is set to break as NASA has shed light on as many as four asteroids that are set to fly past Earth tomorrow, March 8. The space agency further clarified that while these asteroids will come close to Earth, none of them are expected to impact the planet and pose a danger to life or property. That said, their close approaches serve as a reminder of the threat posed by these space rocks and the need to continuously monitor them in their orbits. Check out the details of the upcoming asteroid approaches below.

Also Read: What are asteroids and how ESA is tracking them

Asteroid 2024 ET1

The first asteroid to pass Earth has been designated Asteroid 2024 ET1 by NASA CNEOS. It is expected to pass Earth at a distance of just 967,000 kilometers. As per the US Space Agency, it is travelling in its orbit at a speed of 43236 kilometers per hour which is much faster than an Intercontinental Ballistic Missle (ICBM)!

In terms of size, is it nearly 22 feet wide, making it almost as big as a bus. It belongs to the Apollo group of Near-Earth Asteroids, which are Earth-crossing space rocks with semi-major axes larger than Earth's. These asteroids are named after the humongous 1862 Apollo asteroid, discovered by German astronomer Karl Reinmuth in the 1930s.

Asteroid 2024 EY1

The second asteroid, given the designation of Asteroid 2024 EY1, is travelling towards Earth in its orbit at a speed of 37471 kilometers per hour. NASA expects this space rock to fly past Earth at a close margin of approximately 2.3 million kilometers tomorrow.

In terms of size, Asteroid 2024 EY1 has a width of almost 24 feet, which means it is also as big as a bus. It belongs to the Aten group of asteroids, which are Earth-crossing Near-Earth Asteroids (NEAs) with semi-major axes smaller than Earth's. They are named after the asteroid 2062 Aten and the first of its kind was discovered by American astronomer Eleanor Helin at Palomar Observatory on January 7, 1976.

Also Read: NASA says 5 asteroids will pass Earth in the coming days

Asteroid 2024 EZ1

The third asteroid to pass Earth has been designated Asteroid 2024 EZ1. It will come as close as 2.59 million kilometers to the planet and is already travelling it in its orbit around the Sun at a speed of 22632 kilometers per hour. Asteroid 2024 EZ1 has a width of nearly 44 feet. It also belongs to the Apollo group of asteroids.

Asteroid 2024 DW1

Asteroid 2024 DW1 is the last asteroid to pass Earth tomorrow. It is expected to fly past the planet at a distance of approximately 4.03 million kilometers, and is travelling at a breakneck speed of 71533 kilometers per hour. This asteroid is the biggest of them all, with a width of around 200 feet. It belongs to the Aten group of Near-Earth asteroids.

It is important to note that while all three asteroids have been termed as Near-Earth Asteroids due to their close distance of passing, they are not expected to actually impact the planet.

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