In Pics: Huge asteroid heading for Earth today! NASA issues warning

NASA has issued a warning that a gigantic asteroid is on its way towards Earth. Will the asteroid hit or miss the planet? How does NASA study these far-off objects which are millions of kilometers away in space? Here's what the space agency has to say.

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In the midst of numerous small asteroids passing by Earth closely these past couple of months, NASA has issued a warning that a gigantic asteroid is dangerously heading for our planet. This asteroid, named Asteroid 2022 RW is colossal in size. But will the asteroid impact the planet and extinguish all life on Earth? Or will it just miss the planet by enough distance to prevent any catastrophe? (Pixabay)

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1/5 In the midst of numerous small asteroids passing by Earth closely these past couple of months, NASA has issued a warning that a gigantic asteroid is dangerously heading for our planet. This asteroid, named Asteroid 2022 RW is colossal in size. But will the asteroid impact the planet and extinguish all life on Earth? Or will it just miss the planet by enough distance to prevent any catastrophe? (Pixabay)

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Asteroid 2008 RW is already on its way towards Earth travelling at a staggering speed of 36,720 and will just miss the planet today, September 12. It will make its closest approach to Earth at a distance of 6.7 million kilometers, according to NASA. NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office has warned that Asteroid 2008 RW is nearly 310 feet wide, which is nearly the size of a skyscraper. (Pixabay)

2/5 Asteroid 2008 RW is already on its way towards Earth travelling at a staggering speed of 36,720 and will just miss the planet today, September 12. It will make its closest approach to Earth at a distance of 6.7 million kilometers, according to NASA. NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office has warned that Asteroid 2008 RW is nearly 310 feet wide, which is nearly the size of a skyscraper. (Pixabay)

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According to the-sky.org, the Asteroid 2008 RW was discovered on September 8, 2008 and belongs to the main Apollo group of asteroids. The asteroid 's farthest point from the Sun is 456 million kilometers, and the nearest point to the Sun is 139 million kilometers. Asteroid 2008 RW takes 1023 days to complete one orbit around the Sun. (Pixabay)

3/5 According to the-sky.org, the Asteroid 2008 RW was discovered on September 8, 2008 and belongs to the main Apollo group of asteroids. The asteroid 's farthest point from the Sun is 456 million kilometers, and the nearest point to the Sun is 139 million kilometers. Asteroid 2008 RW takes 1023 days to complete one orbit around the Sun. (Pixabay)

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NASA currently has a NEO Observations Program in place to track, and characterize at least 90 percent of the NEOs that are 140 meters or larger in size. Most of the asteroids are observed with the help of the NEOWISE Project which repurposed NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer to work as a survey telescope and scan the sky for Near-Earth Objects. (NASA)

4/5 NASA currently has a NEO Observations Program in place to track, and characterize at least 90 percent of the NEOs that are 140 meters or larger in size. Most of the asteroids are observed with the help of the NEOWISE Project which repurposed NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer to work as a survey telescope and scan the sky for Near-Earth Objects. (NASA)

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NASA JPL also uses a variety of ground-based telescopes in the hunt for these asteroids. NASA JPL’s Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) has also recently developed a next-generation asteroid impact monitoring system which has gone online. (HT_PRINT)

5/5 NASA JPL also uses a variety of ground-based telescopes in the hunt for these asteroids. NASA JPL’s Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) has also recently developed a next-generation asteroid impact monitoring system which has gone online. (HT_PRINT)