Amor asteroid to pass Earth at close quarters today, reveals NASA

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NASA defines asteroids as ancient space rocks floating in space that have been left over from the solar system’s formation about 4.6 billion years ago.

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Most asteroids are located in the main asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter but they can come close to Earth on occasion.

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NASA and other space agencies use advanced space and ground-based telescopes to monitor asteroids and minimize the uncertainties around their close approaches.

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Using its advanced tech, the US Space Agency has shed light on an asteroid that is set to pass Earth at close quarters today, April 19.

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The asteroid has been given the designation of Asteroid 2024 FU4 by NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS).

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It is travelling towards Earth in its orbit at a speed of 27099 kilometres per hour, which is much faster than Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs)!

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This asteroid is expected to pass Earth at a distance of approximately 7.3 million kilometres.

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In terms of size, the asteroid is nearly 95 feet wide, which makes it almost the size of an aircraft. 

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It belongs to the Amor group of Near-Earth Asteroids.