NASA warning! Dangerous Asteroid UW10 to make close approach to Earth today

NASA has warned that a dangerous asteroid is speeding towards the planet today. It could prove to be catastrophic if it deviates from its path.

Know what NASA says about this recently discovered asteroid. (NASA)

NASA has discovered an asteroid speeding towards the planet. This space rock is hurtling towards the planet and could make its close approach with Earth today. Although this asteroid does not pose any viable threat to Earth and will pass the planet safely, it was still classified as a potentially hazardous asteroid due to the close proximity of its encounter with Earth. So, are we safe from this asteroid or should we look for alternative planets to live on? Here's what NASA said.

Asteroid 2022 UW10 key details

NASA's Planetary Defense Coordination Office has red-flagged an asteroid named Asteroid 2022 UW10 due to its extremely close approach with the planet. The asteroid will make its closest approach to Earth today, October 31 at a distance of just 1.6 million kilometers per hour. It is already on its way towards the planet travelling at a speed of nearly 23976 kilometers per hour!

According to the-sky.org, the Asteroid 2022 UW10 belongs to the Apollo group of asteroids. It was discovered recently on October 26. This asteroid takes 915 days to complete one trip around the Sun during which its maximum distance from the Sun is 403 million kilometers and nearest distance is 149 million kilometers.

Did you know?

Dinosaurs which roamed the Earth millions of years ago were wiped out because of an asteroid. Now, scientists have located the place of impact of the asteroid which caused an extinction-level event. The dinosaur killing asteroid was between 10.6 and 80.9 km in diameter and crashed on Earth near the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico more than 65 million years ago.

This asteroid terraformed the Earth suitable for the emergence of humans. The impact would've caused the formation of huge tidal waves and an impact crater almost 140KM wide. Further, it would've caused the land material to splatter into space, changing the Earth's environment into nuclear winter-like conditions.