46-foot asteroid racing towards Earth today at 38844 kmph, says NASA

NASA has informed about a 46-foot asteroid that is racing towards planet Earth today. Check speed, distance to planet Earth, and more here.

By: HT TECH
| Updated on: Apr 01 2023, 11:06 IST
5 asteroids speeding towards Earth; From 17 feet to 173 feet, check details
Asteroid
1/5 Asteroid 2023 FO3 – Asteroid 2023 FO3, which is between 39 feet and 92 wide, will make its closest approach to Earth today, March 31. The asteroid is already rushing towards Earth at a speed of 36651 kilometers per hour and will miss the planet by a distance of just 2.5 million kilometers. (Pixabay)
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2/5 Asteroid 2023 FF7 – Another asteroid named Asteroid 2023 FF7 is heading for Earth and will make a close approach tomorrow, April 1. This asteroid, with a width between 36 feet and 82 feet, is heading for Earth at a blistering speed of 38841 kilometers per hour. It will miss Earth at a distance of 3.3 million kilometers. (Pixabay)
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3/5 Asteroid 2023 FZ10 – Asteroid 2023 FZ10, which is between 17 feet and 39 feet wide, is heading for Earth and will make a close approach tomorrow, April 1. This asteroid is heading for Earth at a speed of 9919 kilometers per hour. It will miss Earth at a close distance of 1 million kilometers. (Freepik)
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4/5 Asteroid 2023 FY6 – Asteroid 2023 FY6 will make its closest approach to Earth on April 2. It is between 78 feet and 173 feet wide, as per NASA. The asteroid will come as close as 3.8 million kilometers near Earth and is already moving at a fiery speed of 81013 kilometers per hour. (Freepik)
Asteroid
5/5 Asteroid 2022 GO3 – The fifth asteroid, with a width of between 36 feet and 82 feet, is named Asteroid 2022 GO3 and will be making its closest Earth approach on April 2. It will come as close as 6.5 million kilometers, according to NASA. The asteroid is moving at a fearsome speed of 41740 kilometers per hour. (Pixabay)
Asteroid
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Know about the asteroid nearing Earth today here. (Freepik)

Did you know that asteroids are also sometimes called minor planets? Or, for that matter, that there are currently 1277973 known asteroids? Well, now you know. These asteroids vary in sizes and some of them are also potentially hazardous. For the uninitiated, Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs) are currently defined based on parameters that measure the asteroid's potential to make threatening close approaches to the Earth. Specifically, all asteroids with a minimum orbit intersection distance (MOID) of 0.05 au or less and an absolute magnitude (H) of 22.0 or less are considered PHAs, according to NASA. What if any of these potentially hazardous asteroids strikes Earth?

NASA constantly keeps an eye on the movement and trajectory of the asteroids to ensure that they do not come dangerously close to planet Earth. However, asteroids do come close to the planet and according to the latest information provided by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), two asteroids are racing towards Earth today, April 1. One is a 46 foot asteroid - similar to the size of a house.

46-foot Asteroid 2023 FF7

The 46-foot asteroid named FF7 will make its closest approach to planet Earth today at a distance of just 3.3 mn kilometers. The rock is travelling at a rapid speed of 38844 kilometers per hour. However, this house size rock is not a threat to planet Earth as it will simply pass by it, if it keeps on travelling in the trajectory it is currently in.

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Along with the 46-foot asteroid, another 22-foot asteroid named 2023 FZ10 is also approaching Earth today. It is zooming towards the planet at a speed of 9936 kilometers per hour and will be nearing Earth at a distance of just 1 mn kilometers, according to NASA's JPL.

Wondering how NASA keeps a track on asteroids? The US space agency has deployed several Earth and Sky-based technologies like telescopes, satellites, and more for the same.

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First Published Date: 01 Apr, 11:05 IST
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