474-meter Asteroid 2001 LD to speed past Earth at 18952 km/second today

Asteroid 2001 LD will zoom past Earth today and it will come within 8.84 million kilometers. Next time it comes will be 61 years later in 2084.

Apollo group's Asteroid 2001 LD to have a terribly close encounter with Earth. (Pixabay)

It is going to be a remarkable Sunday for cosmic enthusiasts as Asteroid 2001 LD, belonging to the Apollo group, will have a chillingly close encounter with Earth. This colossal celestial body, estimated to be at most 474 meters in size, about the size of a football stadium, and it will zoom past our planet at an astonishing speed of 18952 km/s, according to spacereference.org! The velocity at which 2001 LD is travelling is mind-boggling, considering its massive size.

At its closest approach, our planet and 2001 LD will be separated by a mere 8.84 million kilometers.

The journey of asteroid 2001 LD is a remarkable feat in itself. It follows an orbital period of 618 days, taking a scenic route around the sun. It reaches a maximum distance of 292 million kilometers before swinging back to approach a mere 133 million kilometers.

Save the Date: June 3, 2084!

This celestial neighbor is scheduled for its next grand visit on June 3, 2084. And this time it will pass at a distance of 17.02 million kilometers.