NASA says monstrous 95-foot asteroid to make very close approach to Earth today | Tech News

NASA says monstrous 95-foot asteroid to make very close approach to Earth today

NASA has issued an alert due to the menacing space rock which is headed for Earth today. Know its speed, distance, size and more.

By: HT TECH
| Updated on: Dec 06 2022, 10:06 IST
In Pics: NASA alert as 5 asteroids set to make close approach to Earth
asteroids
1/5 Asteroid 2022 WB5 - NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDCO) has issued an alert against an asteroid named Asteroid 2022 WB5. The 84 feet wide asteroid is expected to fly past Earth today, December 5, at a distance of 2.2 million kilometers. The asteroid is already on its way towards Earth, travelling at a staggering speed of 39471 kilometers per hour! (Pixabay)
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2/5 Asteroid 2022 VP1 - An asteroid, named Asteroid 2022 VP1, is on its way towards Earth today, December 5. What’s shocking is that the asteroid is nearly the size of a commercial aircraft, with a width of nearly 170 feet! The Asteroid 2022 VP1 is expected to make its closest approach to the planet at a distance of 6.6 million kilometers today at a speed of 25455 kilometers per hour, as per NASA. (Pixabay)
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3/5 Asteroid 2022 WA6 – This gigantic asteroid, with a size ranging between 55 feet and 121 feet, will make its close trip to Earth tomorrow, December 6, at a distance of nearly 1.6 million kilometers. The asteroid, known as Asteroid 2022 WA6, is already rushing towards Earth, travelling at a speed of 49897 kilometers per hour. (Pixabay)
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4/5 Asteroid 2022 WV8 – Another asteroid named Asteroid 2022 WV8 is heading for Earth tomorrow, December 6. This asteroid, with a size between 72 feet and 160 feet, is heading for Earth at a blistering speed of 25843 kilometers per hour. It will miss Earth today at a close distance of 5.9 million kilometers. (Pixabay)
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5/5 Asteroid 2022 WK9 – This week’s fifth asteroid, with a size ranging between 82 feet and 183 feet, is named Asteroid 2022 WK9 and will be making its closest Earth approach on December 7. It will come as close as 2.3 million kilometers, according to the information provided by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). And this is not all, the stadium-sized asteroid is also moving at a mind-numbing speed of 51504 kilometer per hour. (Flickr)
asteroids
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This aircraft-sized asteroid is all set to pass Earth today. (Pixabay)

New day means another new asteroid is expected to pass by Earth at an extremely close distance. NASA, which is one of the primary space agencies in the world, has issued an asteroid alert against a space rock that is hurtling towards Earth. NASA's Planetary Defense Coordination Office is responsible for keeping an eye on the sky for rogue asteroids which could potentially threaten Earth. The organisation has now flagged this space rock as a Potentially Hazardous Object due to it heading for close approach to the planet today.

Key info about Asteroid 2022 WV8

NASA's Planetary Defense Coordination Office has issued an alert against an asteroid named Asteroid 2022 WV8. What's shocking is this asteroid is nearly 95 feet wide, which is the size of a commercial aircraft! The asteroid is expected to fly past Earth very closely today, December 6, at a distance of just 5.9 million kilometers. The asteroid is already on its way towards Earth, travelling at a staggering speed of 25845 kilometers per hour.

Although this asteroid is not expected to impact Earth any time soon, a slight deviation in its path due to interaction with the planet's gravitational field could change its trajectory and send it hurtling towards the planet with catastrophic consequences.

According to the-sky.org, the Asteroid 2022 WV8 belongs to the Apollo group of asteroids. It was discovered recently on November 27. This asteroid takes 1227 days to complete one trip around the Sun during which its maximum distance from the Sun is 520 million kilometers and nearest distance is 151 million kilometers.

How does NASA track asteroids?

NASA keeps a watch on these asteroids by studying data collected by various telescopes and observatories such as the Pan-STARRS, the Catalina Sky Survey and the NEOWISE telescope. NASA also has a NEO Surveyor mission planned for launch in 2026 to gain even greater in-depth data using a new orbiter. NASA can track the orbital path of the asteroid using this infrared data and can even predict its orbit years into the future.

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First Published Date: 06 Dec, 10:05 IST
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