Apollo group asteroid to come as close as 2.3 mn km to Earth; NASA reveals its speed, size, and more | Tech News

Apollo group asteroid to come as close as 2.3 mn km to Earth; NASA reveals its speed, size, and more

NASA has shed light on an Apollo-group asteroid expected to pass Earth by a close margin in the next few days. Know its speed, size, distance of approach, and other details, as per the space agency.

By: HT TECH
| Updated on: Jan 05 2024, 10:58 IST
720-foot asteroid to pass Earth along with 4 others, NASA data reveals; check when and how close they will get
asteroid
1/5 Asteroid 2023 YR1: Designated as Asteroid 2023 YR1, this asteroid is expected to pass Earth today, January 1, 2024. According to NASA, this asteroid is 82 Feet wide. During its approach, it is expected to come as close as 2.4 million kilometers to the Earth. It will be traveling at a speed of 47827 kilometers per hour towards our planet.  (Pixabay)
asteroid
2/5 Asteroid 2023 YR:  This space rock is designated as Asteroid 2023 YR. It will pass Earth on January 2, 2024. According to NASA, this asteroid is 110 Feet wide. This asteroid will come as close as 1.73 million kilometers to Earth during its approach and it will be traveling at a speed of 43981 kilometers per hour.  (Pixabay)
asteroid
3/5 Asteroid 2019 KK5:  The Asteroid 2019 KK5 will be passing Earth on January 3, 2024. According to NASA, this asteroid is 310 Feet wide. It will come as close as 4.07 million kilometers during its approach towards the Earth. This space rock will be traveling at the speed of 75328 kilometers per hour. (Pixabay)
image caption
4/5 Asteroid 2002 AY1: This asteroid is designated as Asteroid 2002 AY1. This asteroid will pass Earth on January 8, 2024. This is a humungous asteroid and is 720 Feet wide. During its approach, this asteroid will come as close as 5.8 million kilometers, It will be traveling at a speed of 62421 kilometers per hour.  (Pixels)
asteroid
5/5 Asteroid 2023 XN13: This asteroid is designated as Asteroid 2023 XN13 and will pass Earth on January 9, 2024. According to NASA, this asteroid is 25 Feet wide and it will come as close as 6.03 million kilometers during its approach. It will be traveling at a speed 5175 kilometers per hour. (NASA)
asteroid
icon View all Images
Asteroid 2024 AC belongs to the Apollo group of Near-Earth Asteroids, according to NASA. (Pixabay)

NASA, with the help of its advanced space and ground-based telescopes, has recently tracked an asteroid that is set to pass Earth at very close quarters today, January 6, and the US space agency has shed light on details such as its speed, distance of approach, and more. Apart from posing a threat to Earth, asteroids can also provide valuable resources such as water, metals, and other minerals. In fact, it is surmised that water was brought to Earth by asteroids and comets over a period in excess of millions of years. Research on asteroids is critical since it can provide valuable information on the early stages of the solar system and planetary development. Know all about the asteroid that is set to pass Earth in the coming days.

Asteroid 2024 AC: Details

The asteroid, given the designation of Asteroid 2024 AC, is travelling towards Earth in its orbit at a breakneck speed of 24444 kilometers per hour, which is almost as fast as an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBMs! NASA expects this space rock to fly past Earth at a close margin of approximately 2.3 million kilometers on January 6.

While this asteroid will pass by closely, it isn't big enough to cause panic or any potential damage. As per NASA, the asteroid is approximately 85 feet wide, making it almost as big as an aircraft. However, if it crashes on Earth, it could still cause damage to a certain degree. In 2013, a smaller 59-foot asteroid exploded over the city of Chelyabinsk in Russia, damaging 7000 buildings and injuring over 1000 people injured.

Also read
Looking for a smartphone? To check mobile finder click here.

This space rock belongs to the Apollo group of Near-Earth Asteroids, which are Earth-crossing space rocks with semi-major axes larger than Earth's. These asteroids are named after the humongous 1862 Apollo asteroid, discovered by German astronomer Karl Reinmuth in the 1930s.

NASA has also revealed that Asteroid 2024 AC has passed Earth before and this isn't its first approach. It first came close to Earth on December 18, 1976, when it passed by a distance of about 45 million kilometers. After today, this Apollo group asteroid will pass Earth again later this year on June 23, at about 47 million kilometers.

Also, read these top stories today:

Danger for ChatGPT, Google Bard?

Free versions of AI models are challenging Big Tech, but they could also benefit the giants more than one would expect.

Some interesting details in this article. Check it out.

Jobs in the Age of AI

Daniel Shapero, LinkedIn's COO, on his advice for Gen Z workers entering a labor market undergoing radical change.

Dive in here.

Space race - the battle of the billionaires!

It is Jeff Bezos vs Elon Musk!

When the Vulcan rocket lifts off for the first time as soon as next week, multiple billionaires, including Amazon's Jeff Bezos and SpaceX's Elon Musk, are sure to be watching.

Know what's up.

If you enjoyed reading this article, please forward it to your friends and family.

One more thing! We are now on WhatsApp Channels! Follow us there so you never miss any updates from the world of technology. ‎To follow the HT Tech channel on WhatsApp, click here to join now!

Catch all the Latest Tech News, Mobile News, Laptop News, Gaming news, Wearables News , How To News, also keep up with us on Whatsapp channel,Twitter, Facebook, Google News, and Instagram. For our latest videos, subscribe to our YouTube channel.

First Published Date: 05 Jan, 10:58 IST
Tags:
NEXT ARTICLE BEGINS