Aircraft-sized asteroid set to make a close approach to Earth, says NASA

In research published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, MIT scientists have developed a new method to study the internal structure of the space rock based on how the spin of the asteroid changes when it makes a close approach with a huge celestial object, like a planet. This will help in understanding the internal structure of the asteroid as well as the weight distribution, which could help in future DART Missions. The team of MIT scientists looks to apply this research to a Near-Earth Asteroid named Apophis. Although this asteroid is not expected to impact Earth anytime soon, a slight deviation in its trajectory could send it hurtling towards the planet.

In a new development, NASA has shed light on an asteroid that is expected to pass Earth at a close distance today.

Asteroid 2023 TG14

An asteroid, given the designation of Asteroid 2023 TG14, is on its way towards Earth and will pass Earth today, October 26. NASA revealed these details after tracking the asteroid’s orbit using its various satellites and space and ground-based telescopes such as NEOWISE, Pan-STARRS, and more. As per the details, Asteroid 2023 TG14 is expected to make its closest approach to the planet at a distance of 1.5 million kilometers. It is currently travelling in its orbit which will bring it close to Earth at a speed of about 24153 kilometers per hour.

This space rock 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.

How big is it?

According to NASA, the asteroid that is approaching Earth is not expected to crash and isn’t big enough to be classified as a Potentially Hazardous Object. It is just 77 feet wide, making it as big as an aircraft. This isn’t Asteroid 2023 TG14’s first close approach to Earth. It first passed Earth at 4.1 million kilometers on October 16, 1917, at a distance of 34 million kilometers. After today, it will pass Earth on October 24, 2024, at a distance of approximately 2.5 million kilometers.