260-foot Asteroid 2023 EK2 set for close Earth encounter TODAY; Behemoth speeding at 55468 kmph

NASA is on alert as the colossal Asteroid 2023 EK2 is set to make a close approach with Earth today.

Asteroid 2023 EK2 belongs to the Apollo group of asteroids. (Pixabay)

NASA has recently warned about a similar asteroid that is approaching Earth and is expected to have a close encounter with the planet. Although asteroids can be found orbiting our Sun between Mars and Jupiter within the main asteroid belt, they can sometimes stray from their trajectory and head towards Earth for a potential surface impact. Asteroids move in an elliptical orbit around the Sun, and they also rotate while moving, sometimes in an erratic manner. Now, Asteroid 2023 EK2 is on its way and it will make a close approach to Earth today.

Asteroid 2023 EK2 details

The asteroid, given the name of Asteroid 2023 EK2, has particularly piqued the interest of scientists due to its sheer size. It is nearly a 260-foot wide behemoth, which makes it almost as big as a skyscraper, NASA says!

In fact, it is bigger than the Big O Ferris wheel located in Tokyo. Due to its size, Asteroid 2023 EK2 could have huge destructive potential if it impacts the planet, especially if it crashes in a densely populated area.

The space agency further revealed that Asteroid 2023 EK2 will make its closest approach to Earth today, March 30, at a distance of 4.9 million kilometers. In fact, it is already dashing towards Earth, at a fearsome speed of 55468 kilometers per hour, which is much faster than a hypersonic ballistic missile!

Protection against asteroids with advanced tech

To counter these asteroids which head for Earth for potential impact, NASA has already carried out the testing of its DART Mission for planetary protection. The space agency crashed a spacecraft into an oncoming asteroid to successfully divert it from its path.

Now, ESA is also gearing up to build an early warning system for dangerous asteroids. Called NEOMIR (Near-Earth Object Mission in the InfraRed), the spacecraft would orbit between the Earth and the Sun at the L1 Lagrange Point, finding space rocks that otherwise get lost in the glare of the Sun, as per the ESA.

The NEOMIR mission will act as an early warning system for asteroids 20 meters and larger that cannot be seen from the ground.