290-foot asteroid on way to Earth today, says NASA, reveals astonishing speed

A mammoth 290-foot asteroid named 2022 YH3 is on its ways towards Earth today, according to NASA. Here is all you need to know about its speed, distance, threat it poses to the planet, and more.

By: HT TECH
| Updated on: Jan 14 2023, 10:27 IST
From 721-foot monster to 22-foot dwarf, 5 asteroids to come very close to Earth
Asteroids
1/5 Asteroid 2022 YS5 - NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office has warned that the asteroid, named Asteroid 2022 YS5, will make its closest approach to Earth today, January 13, at a distance of 5.9 million kilometers. It is nearly as big as an aircraft, with a width of 130 feet. Asteroid 2022 YS5 is already hurtling towards the planet at a speed of 21506 kmph.  (Wikimedia Commons)
Asteroids
2/5 Asteroid 2014 LJ - A relatively small asteroid with a size of 22 feet will fly past Earth by a very close margin tomorrow, January 14. The asteroid, named Asteroid 2014 LJ, will make its closest approach with the planet at a distance of 1.8 million kilometers. The asteroid is travelling towards the planet at a blistering speed of 12515 kilometers per hour. (Pixabay)
Asteroids
3/5 Asteroid 2022 YH3 – Another asteroid named 2022 YH3 will make its closest approach to Earth tomorrow, January 14 at a distance of 7.2 million kilometers. The asteroid, with a width of 290, is travelling at a staggering speed of 58580 kilometers per hour towards the planet. (Pixabay)
Asteroids
4/5 Asteroid 2012 BV13 - NASA has issued an alert against another asteroid named Asteroid 2012 BV13. This asteroid is particularly concerning due to its monstrous size. According to NASA, it has a size ranging anywhere between 327 feet and 721 feet, making it nearly as big as a football field! It is expected to fly past Earth closely on January 16 at a distance of 1.5 million kilometers. The asteroid is already on its way towards Earth, travelling at a speedy 24042 kilometers per hour.  (WikiMedia Commons)
Asteroids
5/5 Asteroid 2020 BP - NASA has warned that an asteroid named Asteroid 2020 BP is heading for Earth and is expected to pass by the planet closely on January 20. Asteroid 2020 BP is already on its way towards us travelling at a fearsome speed of 60966 kilometers per hour. The asteroid, with a width between 62 feet and 141 feet, will make its closest approach to Earth a distance of just 1.9 million kilometers.  (Pixabay)
Asteroids
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All you need to know about the 290-foot asteroid 2022 YH3. (Pixabay)

Asteroids are sometimes also called minor planets. They are rocky, airless remnants left over from the early formation of our solar system about 4.6 billion years ago. Some are massive in size (as large at 530 kilometers in diameter) while others are comparatively small (less than 33 feet or 10 meters). According to NASA, The current asteroid count is 1113527. Out of these many asteroids, sometimes hurtle towards Earth mainly because of the planet's gravitational pull or if the planet comes in their trajectory. NASA has alerted about a mammoth 290 foot asteroid that is rushing towards Earth at a mind numbing speed today.

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory releases a list of asteroids that are nearing Earth. It also informs about their size, speed and their chances of posing a threat to humanity and Earth. Here is all you need to know about the 290-foot (building sized) asteroid.

290-foot Asteroid 2022 YH3

The 290-foot asteroid named 2022 YH3 will be making its closest approach to Earth today, January 14, 2023 at a distance of 7280000 kilometers. According to the information provided by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), the building-sized asteroid is also moving at a mind-numbing speed of 58572 kilometer per hour (16.27km/sec). Notably, the asteroid is not posing any threat to planet Earth and will simply pass by it.

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Other than Asteroid 2022 YH3, NASA's JPL has also informed about an asteroid called 2014 LJ, which is also hurtling towards planet Earth today. Asteroid 2014 LJ is 22-foot, that is, of the size of a bus. It will make its closest Earth approach at a distance of 1820000 kilometers and is travelling at a speed of 12528 kilometer per hour.

Why does NASA keep an eye on the movement of asteroids?

Some of the asteroids are massive in size, if they crash or collide with Earth, it could be very destructive for a huge part of the region. Even smaller asteroids can sometimes pose a great threat to the planet, therefore, making it very important to keep an eye on the movement of asteroids. NASA has deployed several Earth and Sky-based technologies like telescopes, satellites, and more in space, to track the movement of the asteroids.

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First Published Date: 14 Jan, 10:26 IST
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