Apollo group asteroid to come as close as 2.3 mn km to Earth, says NASA; Check size, speed | Tech News

Apollo group asteroid to come as close as 2.3 mn km to Earth, says NASA; Check size, speed

An Apollo group Near-Earth Asteroid is set to pass Earth today, December 18, NASA has revealed. Know about its speed, size, distance of approach, and more, as per the space agency.

By: HT TECH
| Updated on: Dec 18 2023, 09:40 IST
5 asteroids, including one that is 89 feet wide, set to pass Earth soon; know what NASA reveals
Asteroid
1/5 Asteroid 2023 XJ13: This asteroid designated as Asteroid 2023 XJ13 is about to pass Earth today, December 16. According to NASA, it will come as close as 3.73 million kilometers during its approach towards our Planet. This asteroid is 45 Feet wide and is traveling at a speed of  33225 kilometers per hour.  (Pixabay)
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2/5 Asteroid 2023 XL14: This asteroid is designated as Asteroid 2023 XL14 by NASA. It will pass Earth tomorrow, December 17. During its approach, it will come as close as 572000 kilometers to the Earth. This space rock is 31 Feet wide and is traveling at the speed of 22843 kilometers per hour. (Pixels)
Asteroid
3/5 Asteroid 2023 XJ10: The asteroid designated as Asteroid 2023 XJ10 is on its way to pass Earth tomorrow, December 17. According to NASA, this asteroid is 89 Feet wide. It will be traveling at a speed of 57866 kilometers per hour towards the Earth. During its approach, it will come as close as 3.2 million kilometers to our planet. (Pixabay)
Asteroid
4/5 Asteroid 2023 XA14: Another asteroid that will pass Earth tomorrow, December 17, is Asteroid 2023 XA14. According to NASA, this asteroid will come as close as 4.9 million kilometers during its approach towards our planet. This asteroid is 39 Feet wide and will travel at a speed of 19292 kilometers per hour towards the Earth.  (NASA)
Asteroid
5/5 Asteroid 2023 XH1: The last asteroid that will pass Earth tomorrow, December 17 is designated as Asteroid 2023 XH1. According to NASA, this space rock is 53 Feet wide and will come as close as 5.83 million kilometers during its approach. This asteroid will be traveling towards the Earth at a speed of 19544 kilometers per hour. (Pixabay)
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Asteroid 2023 XL11 belongs to the Apollo group of Near-Earth Asteroids. (WikiMedia Commons)

Nearly 298148 asteroids have been discovered to date by NASA, which uses its advanced ground and space-based telescopes and satellites including the NEOWISE telescope, Pans-STARRS1, and Catalina Sky Survey. Using this advanced technology, the US space agency has tracked an asteroid that is expected to pass Earth by a close margin today, December 18. It is the only asteroid that will come close to Earth today. From size to distance of approach, know all about this close encounter with Asteroid 2023 XL11.

Asteroid 2023 XL11: Details

According to the space agency, the asteroid, given the designation Asteroid 2023 XL11, is travelling in its orbit at a breakneck speed of 42021 kilometers per hour, which is much faster than an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM)! Asteroid 2023 XL11 will pass Earth by a distance of 2.3 million kilometers, according to NASA's Defense Coordination Office (PDCO), which is responsible for monitoring the skies and keeping a watch on various Near-Earth Objects (NEOs). It is important to note that while it has been termed as a Near-Earth Asteroid due to its close distance of passing, it is not expected to actually impact the planet.

Asteroid 2023 XL11 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.

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Despite its extremely close approach, this asteroid has been deemed as non-threatening and has not been classified as a Potentially Hazardous Object. NASA estimates the asteroid to be almost 52 feet wide, which makes it almost as big as a house.

Asteroid 2023 XL11: Previous approaches

NASA has also revealed that Asteroid 2023 XL11 has not passed Earth before and this will be its first-ever close approach. After today, this Apollo group asteroid is not expected to pass by the planet anytime in the near future, as per NASA JPL.

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First Published Date: 18 Dec, 09:40 IST
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