Asteroid as big as an aircraft hurtling towards Earth! Know details of close encounter

NASA has revealed details of an upcoming close encounter with an asteroid that will pass the planet closely today, July 20. Know details.

Asteroid 2023 NL belongs to the Amor group of asteroids. (Pixabay)

When asteroids enter a planet's atmosphere, most of them burn up without ever reaching the surface. But only a handful of them ever touch the ground, and even when they do, these space rocks explode, sending debris flying all around. However, it wasn't the case on July 6 when a meteor crashed and hit a woman who was sipping coffee on her terrace! According to a report by the local French newspaper Les Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace, a woman sitting on her terrace in the village of Alsace in Eastern France was struck by a meteor that bounced off the roof and hit her chest.

Later, she got the rock examined by a geologist named Dr. Thierry Rebmann, who confirmed that it was indeed a meteorite from outer space!

While not expected to impact Earth, NASA has issued a warning against an asteroid that will have a close encounter with Earth today.

Asteroid 2023 NL

An asteroid, given the designation of Asteroid 2023 NL, is on its way towards Earth and could make its closest approach to the planet today, July 20. NASA revealed these shocking details after tracking the asteroid's orbit using its various satellites and space and ground-based telescopes. As per the details, Asteroid 2023 NL is expected to make its closest approach to the planet at a distance of 7.3 million kilometers, and at a speed of 19664 kilometers per hour, as per NASA.

This space rock belongs to the Amor group of Near-Earth Asteroids which are Earth-approaching near-Earth asteroids with orbits exterior to Earth but interior to Mars', named after asteroid 1221 Amor, which was discovered by Belgian astronomer E. Delporte in 1932.

How big is it?

According to NASA, the asteroid that is approaching Earth is not expected to crash and isn't big enough to be classified as a Potentially Hazardous Object. To end all life on Earth, an asteroid would have to be at least 96 kilometers wide.

On the other hand, Asteroid 2023 NL is almost 140 feet wide, which is not big enough to cause a catastrophe. In terms of size, it can be compared to an aircraft and is big enough to cause some degree of damage if it crashed in populated areas.