Aten group asteroid to pass Earth by a close margin, reveals NASA | Tech News

Aten group asteroid to pass Earth by a close margin, reveals NASA

NASA has revealed details about an asteroid designated Asteroid 2023 VW5 that is expected to pass Earth by a close margin today, November 21. From its speed, and size to distance of approach, know all about it.

By: HT TECH
| Updated on: Nov 21 2023, 10:26 IST
5 huge asteroids to pass by Earth; check what NASA says
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1/5 Asteroid 2023 WB: Designated as 2023 WB, NASA has tracked this asteroid and it is expected to pass Earth today, November 18. This space rock is just 55 feet wide and as big as the size of a house. It will come as close as 667000 kilometers to Earth. It is traveling at a speed of 45349 kilometers per hour. (Pixabay)
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2/5 Asteroid 2019 LB1: This asteroid, designated as 2019 LB1 is on its way to pass Earth today. According to NASA, this asteroid is just 43 wide and is also as big as a house. It will come as close as 3.75 million kilometers to the planet at a speed of 14983 kilometers per hour. (Pixabay)
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3/5 Asteroid 2016 DK1: According to NASA, the asteroid 2016 DK1 will pass Earth tomorrow, November 19. This space rock is 37 feet wide and is estimated to come as close as 1.26 million kilometers. This asteroid is moving at a speed of 24305 kilometers per hour. (Pixabay)
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4/5 Asteroid 2022 VR1: NASA has designated this asteroid as 2022 VR1. This asteroid is also expected to pass by Earth tomorrow. This asteroid is 120 feet wide and is as big as the size of an aircraft. This space rock is estimated to come as close as 1.93 million kilometers and will travel at a speed of 21882 kilometers per hour. (NASA)
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5/5 Asteroid 2023 VT7: This asteroid will pass Earth tomorrow, November 19. According to NASA, this asteroid is 170 feet wide and is as big as a Boeing-777. It will come as close as 3.56 million kilometers to the Earth and will travel at a speed of 38112 kilometers per hour. (Pixabay)
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Asteroid 2023 VW5 belongs to the Aten group of asteroids. (Pixabay)

NASA's Defense Coordination Office (PDCO), which is responsible for monitoring the skies and keeping a watch on various Near-Earth Objects (NEOs), has issued details about an asteroid that is expected to pass by Earth today, November 21. The asteroid, designated Asteroid 2023 VW5, will pass the planet by a close margin of 1.7 million kilometers. As per NASA, this space rock is travelling in its orbit at a breakneck speed of approximately 40269 kilometers per hour. Here's all about Asteroid 2023 VW5.

Asteroid 2023 VW5: Details of close approach

NASA has revealed that Asteroid 2023 VW5 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.

Despite its close approach, Asteroid 2023 VW5 does not pose any potential threat to the planet due to its relatively small size and hasn't been classified as a Potentially Dangerous Asteroid. With a width of around 89 feet, the space rock is as big as an aircraft. It is bigger than the Chelyabinsk asteroid, the 59 feet wide asteroid that exploded over the Russian city in 2013, damaging 7000 buildings and leaving over 1000 people injured.

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What's more astonishing is that this is not the first time that this asteroid will come close to Earth. Its first-ever close approach in recorded history took place on September 4, 1901, as it passed the planet by a distance of 69 million kilometers. After today, the next time this asteroid will make its closest approach to Earth will be on August 26, 2026, when it will pass by at a distance of 36 million kilometers.

Asteroid hunting using AI

Did you know that astronomers have also turned to algorithms for asteroid hunting? According to a study published by the University of Washington, an algorithm, named HelioLinc3D, helped researchers discover a potentially hazardous asteroid. Asteroid 2022 SF289, which is almost 600 feet wide, was discovered during the algorithm's test in Hawaii and has not been deemed as dangerous in the foreseeable future. The HelioLinc3D algorithm uses Rubin's dataset to find and track asteroids.

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First Published Date: 21 Nov, 10:26 IST
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