Asteroid warning! NASA alert as 190-ft Asteroid 2017 BM123 set for close call with Earth | Tech News

Asteroid warning! NASA alert as 190-ft Asteroid 2017 BM123 set for close call with Earth

An asteroid is set for a close approach to Earth and it is travelling at a fearsome speed! NASA reveals its distance and trajectory.

By: HT TECH
| Updated on: Mar 03 2023, 13:27 IST
Asteroids Incoming! 5 Asteroids set for close Earth approach, says NASA
Asteroid
1/5 Asteroid 2023 DX – According to NASA, Asteroid 2023 DX, which is 74 feet wide, will make its closest approach to Earth today, March 3. Asteroid 2023 DX is already rushing towards Earth at a speed of 46984 kilometers per hour and will miss the planet by a distance of 1.9 million kilometers.  (Pixabay)
Asteroid
2/5 Asteroid 2007 ED125 – Asteroid 2007 ED125, which is nearly 700 feet wide, is heading for Earth and will make a close approach today, March 3. This asteroid is heading for Earth at a blistering speed of 47032 kilometers per hour. It will miss Earth at a close distance of 4.4 million kilometers.  (Pixabay)
Asteroid
3/5 Asteroid 2017 BM123 – Asteroid 2017 BM123 will make its closest approach to Earth today, March 3. It is nearly 100 feet wide, as per NASA. The asteroid will come as close as 4.6 million kilometers near Earth and is already moving at a breakneck speed of 28138 kilometers per hour.  (Pixabay)
Asteroid
4/5 Asteroid 2023 DN1 – Another asteroid named Asteroid 2023 DN1 is heading for Earth and will make a close approach today, March 3. This asteroid, with a width of 49 feet, is heading for Earth at a blistering speed of 26338 kilometers per hour. It will miss Earth at an extremely close distance of 2.8 million kilometers.  (Pixabay)
Asteroid
5/5 Asteroid 2021 QW – The fifth asteroid, with a size ranging between 193 feet and 426 feet, is named Asteroid 2021 QW and will be making its closest Earth approach today, March 3. It will come as close as 5.3 million kilometers, according to NASA. The asteroid is moving at a fearsome speed of 43519 kilometers per hour.  (Bloomberg)
Asteroid
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Asteroid 2017 BM123 belongs to the Apollo group of asteroids. (Pixabay)

Although asteroids often make close approaches to Earth, today is special as NASA expects as many as 5 asteroids to make close approaches to Earth. As these space rocks revolve around the Sun in their elliptical orbits, the asteroids also rotate, sometimes quite erratically, tumbling as they go. Sometimes, interaction with a planet's gravitational field knocks these asteroids off their trajectories and sends them towards a planet like Earth for potential impact.

NASA has now issued an alert against a similar asteroid which is on its way towards the planet and is expected to make a close approach with Earth soon.

Asteroid 2017 BM123 information

According to the information released by NASA, an asteroid, given the designation of Asteroid 2017 BM123, is travelling towards Earth and is expected to make a close approach with Earth as soon as today, March 3. Although this asteroid is not a planet-killer, it is considerably larger than other asteroids which often make their way towards Earth. With a width of nearly 190 feet, Asteroid 2017 BM123 can be compared to an aircraft in terms of size.

NASA has revealed that Asteroid 2017 BM123 will make its Earth approach at a distance of 4.6 million kilometers. It is already travelling towards Earth, at a staggering speed of approximately 28138 kilometers per hour.

How are Asteroids named?

According to ESA, the process of assigning a provisional designation to an asteroid begins when a single observer detects it on two consecutive nights and then sends their findings to the Minor Planet Centre of the International Astronomical Union (IAU). The IAU assigns a provisional designation, which typically consists of a serial number like "1992 KD". The provisional designation includes the year of the asteroid's discovery, followed by two letters that indicate the order of its discovery during that year.

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First Published Date: 03 Mar, 13:20 IST
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