NASA issues warning! Asteroid as big as an aircraft hurtling towards Earth today

A 130-foot aircraft-sized asteroid is bolting towards Earth and could make a close approach soon. Here's what NASA said.

By: HT TECH
| Updated on: Feb 02 2023, 10:35 IST
NASA warns of 5 asteroids rushing towards Earth; biggest is a 210-foot monster
Asteroid
1/5 Asteroid 2023 BA4 - NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office has issued an alert against an asteroid named Asteroid 2023 BA4. The asteroid is expected to fly past Earth closely today, January 31, at a distance of 6.7 million kilometers. According to NASA, the asteroid is gigantic with a size 140 feet across. This space rock is already on its way towards Earth, travelling at a staggering speed of 28291 kilometers per hour.  (Pixabay)
Asteroid
2/5 Asteroid 2023 BQ2 - A relatively small asteroid with a size of 54 feet will fly past Earth by a very close margin today, January 31. The asteroid, named Asteroid 2023 BQ2, will make its closest approach with the planet at a distance of 2.1 million kilometers. The asteroid is travelling towards the planet at a blistering speed of 50122 kilometers per hour.  (Pixabay)
Asteroid
3/5 Asteroid 2023 AS1 – Another asteroid named 2023 AS1 will make its closest approach to Earth today, January 31, at a distance of 4.5 million kilometers. The asteroid, with a width of 78 feet, is travelling at a staggering speed of 22272 kilometers per hour towards the planet.  (Pixabay)
Asteroid
4/5 Asteroid 2023 BP6 - NASA has issued an alert against another asteroid named Asteroid 2023 BP6. According to NASA, it is the largest asteroid of the week with a width of nearly 210 feet. It is expected to fly past Earth closely tomorrow, February 1, at a distance of 2.6 million kilometers. The asteroid is already on its way towards Earth, travelling at a speedy 35059 kilometers per hour.  (Pixabay)
Asteroid
5/5 Asteroid 2017 DU34 - The fifth asteroid which is set to make a close approach is named Asteroid 2017 DU34 is heading for Earth and is expected to pass by the planet closely on February 2. Asteroid 2017 DU34 is already on its way towards us travelling at a fearsome speed of 40160 kilometers per hour. The asteroid, with a width of 49 feet, will make its closest approach to Earth at a distance of 5.08 million kilometers.  (Pixabay)
Asteroid
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Asteroid 2023 BY4 belongs to the Apollo group of Near-Earth Asteroids. (Pixabay)

Asteroids pose a potential danger to the planet in case they impact the surface. To study asteroids that are not in the asteroid belt and reveal the unknown, NASA has the Lucy Space Mission in place. NASA launched its Lucy spacecraft on Oct. 16, 2021 from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. This is NASA's first space mission to study the Trojans, a group of asteroids which orbit the Sun in two groups, according to NASA. It is built to seek out trojan asteroids millions of kilometers from Earth. NASA also uses its other telescopes like NEOWISE, Pan-STARRS, the Catalina Sky Survey and more to study asteroids.

With the help of these space and ground-based telescopes, NASA has revealed that an asteroid is dashing towards Earth today, and it is a big one.

Asteroid 2023 BY4 details

The Potentially Hazardous Asteroid, named as Asteroid 2023 BY4 is already on its way towards Earth travelling at a staggering speed of 38716 kilometers per hour and is expected to just miss the planet today, February 2. It will make its closest approach to Earth at a distance of just 4.9 million kilometers, according to NASA. NASA's Planetary Defense Coordination Office has warned that Asteroid 2023 BY4 is massive, as it is nearly 130 feet across, making it out to be as big as an aircraft.

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Asteroid strike in Canada

In the midst of all the close asteroid flybys, NASA has revealed that an asteroid struck the Earth in November last year. This asteroid was seemingly missed by all the telescopes and was discovered just hours before impact!

NASA has revealed that a tiny asteroid lit up the sky as it flew over Southern Ontario, Canada on Saturday, November 19. What's shocking is that this 3-foot asteroid was detected just 3.5 hours before impact! According to NASA, the asteroid is likely to have burned up upon entering the planet's atmosphere and scattered small meteorites over the southern coastline of Lake Ontario.

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First Published Date: 02 Feb, 10:30 IST
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