NASA alert! 65-Foot asteroid roars towards Earth; packs massive destructive force

An asteroid is expected to come very close to Earth today according to NASA. Further details regarding the asteroid's speed, distance, and other characteristics have been revealed by the space agency.

Asteroid 2023 FQ7 belongs to the Amor group of asteroids. (Pixabay)

Every few million years, a planet-ending celestial object strikes the Earth. The asteroids that travel around the Sun in their elliptical paths also rotate, sometimes in a disorderly manner, according to NASA. Colossal asteroids have played a significant role in major historical incidents, such as the Chelyabinsk tragedy that resulted in numerous people getting injured, as well as the asteroid that caused the extinction of dinosaurs millions of years ago. Whenever asteroids have collided with Earth, they have had a profound impact on life.

Now, NASA and other space agencies have issued an alert against an asteroid which is set to make a close approach with Earth today. The asteroid is named 2023 FQ7. NASA has revealed the asteroid's speed, distance, trajectory and more. Check it out here.

Asteroid 2023 FQ7 details

NASA's Planetary Defense Coordination Office, which keeps an eye on dangerous Near-Earth Objects (NEOs), has red-flagged an asteroid named Asteroid 2023 FQ7 due to its extremely close approach to the planet. The asteroid will make its closest approach to Earth today, April 5, at a distance of 5.7 million kilometers.

According to NASA, this asteroid is moving at a fearsome speed. It has been clocked at a fearsome speed of 30309 kilometers per hour. It is not expected to cause harm to the planet, mainly due to its relatively small size. NASA estimates it to be almost 65 feet wide, making it nearly the size of a house.

Did you know?

Astronomers have spotted three near-Earth asteroids (NEA) hiding in the glare of the Sun. One of the asteroids is the largest object that is potentially hazardous to Earth to be discovered in the last eight years. A team using the Dark Energy Camera (DECam) mounted on the Victor M. Blanco 4-meter Telescope in Chile, a Program of NSF's NOIRLab, discovered these asteroids.

This is a notoriously challenging region for observations because asteroid hunters must contend with the glare of the Sun. By taking advantage of the brief yet favorable observing conditions during twilight, however, the astronomers found this elusive trio.