Asteroid hurtling towards Earth at 31227 kmph! NASA warns of close approach TODAY

An aircraft-sized asteroid is hurtling towards Earth for close approach today, NASA has revealed. Know details such as its speed, distance, and size.

Asteroid 2023 JK1 belongs to the Amor group of Near-Earth Asteroids. (Pixabay)

Since the turn of the year, Earth has been bombarded with several environmental phenomena such as solar storms, geomagnetic storms, and earthquakes. But these aren't the only threats. Asteroids, on a daily basis, make close approaches to Earth, making it necessary to track and study them for potential impact. To do this, NASA telescopes such as the Pans-STARRS1 located in Maui, Hawaii, and the Catalina Sky Survey situated near Tucson, Arizona conduct surveys that have detected numerous near-Earth objects like asteroids. Additionally, NEOWISE, NASA's space-based observatory, has identified hundreds of asteroids by scanning the skies with near-infrared wavelengths of light from its orbit around Earth's poles.

With the help of such advanced technologies, NASA has identified an asteroid that is hurtling towards Earth today.

Asteroid 2023 JK1 details

NASA's Planetary Defense Coordination Office is responsible for monitoring the skies and keeping a watch on various Near-Earth Objects (NEOs). The organization has issued a warning against an asteroid designated as Asteroid 2023 JK1. This Near-Earth Asteroid (NEA) is expected to make its closest approach to Earth today, May 23.

Whilst this asteroid will come very close to the planet, it is not expected to impact the surface. According to NASA, Asteroid 2023 JK1 will pass by Earth at a distance of 6.5 million kilometers. It is already on its way towards the planet, travelling at a blistering speed of 31227 kilometers per hour. According to NASA, Asteroid 2023 JK1 is between 91 feet and 203 feet wide, making it almost as big as an airplane! Furthermore, it 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.

Why should we study asteroids?

Scientists study asteroids to learn more about the early solar system and the conditions that existed when the planets were forming. Asteroids can also provide valuable resources such as water, metals, and other minerals. One such discovery was made by studying an asteroid.

Until now, it was believed that water was already present on Earth from the earliest times. However, a recent study has made an astonishing discovery that puts this very thought into doubt. The study has revealed that water may have originated on asteroids.