Asteroid today: Aten group space rock to pass Earth closely today, reveals NASA; check speed, size | Tech News

Asteroid today: Aten group space rock to pass Earth closely today, reveals NASA; check speed, size

Asteroid today: NASA has revealed details of an upcoming close encounter with an asteroid that is nearly 120 feet wide! Know its speed, distance of approach, and more, as per the US Space Agency.

By: HT TECH
| Updated on: Jan 02 2024, 11:01 IST
720-foot asteroid to pass Earth along with 4 others, NASA data reveals; check when and how close they will get
asteroids
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)
asteroids
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)
asteroids
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)
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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)
asteroids
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)
asteroids
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Asteroid today: Asteroid 2023 YR belongs to the Aten group of asteroids, according to NASA. Know how close it will get. (Pixabay)

Asteroid today: You may think asteroids are simply floating rocks in space but they can also present a danger to Earth. Due to close calls with asteroids, NASA, ESA, and other space agencies have developed technology to track these space rocks in their orbits, and even deflect them in case a potential impact scenario develops. Using its tech, NASA has now shed light on an asteroid that is expected to pass Earth today, January 2. Know all about the close approach by this Asteroid today.

Asteroid 2023 YR: Speed, size, distance, and more

The asteroid, designated as Asteroid 2023 YR is expected to pass Earth at a distance of approximately 1.7 million kilometers today, according to the NASA Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS). It is already travelling towards Earth in its orbit at 44002 kilometers per hour which is even faster than Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs)! 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. 

It belongs to the Aten group of asteroids, which are Earth-crossing Near-Earth Asteroids (NEAs) with semi-major axes smaller than Earth's. They are named after the asteroid 2062 Aten and the first of its kind was discovered by American astronomer Eleanor Helin at Palomar Observatory on January 7, 1976.

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According to NASA, this is not the first time that Asteroid 2023 YR has come close to Earth. It first passed the planet on September 11, 1991, at a distance of approximately 14 million kilometers. After today, it will pass the planet at a distance of 59 million kilometers on September 11, 2029, at approximately 15 million kilometers.

How big is it?

Asteroid 2023 YR is almost the size of an aircraft, with a width of nearly 120 feet! However, it has not been classified as a Potentially Hazardous Object and does not pose a danger to Earth.

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First Published Date: 02 Jan, 10:17 IST
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