Skyscraper-sized asteroid to buzz Earth today! NASA Tracks Impending Earth Flyby

NASA expects a 450 feet wide asteroid to make a close approach to Earth as soon as today. Check out its speed, distance and other details, as revealed by NASA.

Asteroid 2006 BE55 belongs to the Apollo group of Near-Earth Asteroids. (Bloomberg)

NASA telescopes such as the Pans-STARRS1 located in Maui, Hawaii, and the Catalina Sky Survey situated near Tucson, Arizona, have conducted surveys that have detected numerous near-Earth objects like asteroids. Additionally, NEOWISE, NASA's space-based observatory, has identified hundreds of asteroids by scanning the skies with near-infrared wavelengths of light from its orbit around Earth's poles. To collect accurate information about an asteroid's trajectory and attributes, NASA employs its ground-based radar.

Using such advanced technology, NASA has recently discovered another asteroid that could potentially come close to Earth as early as today.

Asteroid 2006 BE55

NASA has issued a warning about a particular asteroid called Asteroid 2006 BE55, as it will be approaching very close to Earth. The asteroid is currently traveling at a speed of almost 47966 kilometers per hour and is set to make its closest approach to Earth today, February 28, at a distance of 3.5 million kilometers per hour.

NASA and other space agencies are worried about the potential impact of Asteroid 2006 BE55 because of its massive size. Measuring around 450 feet in width, the asteroid is roughly the same size as a skyscraper. If it were to collide with Earth, especially in a densely populated region, it could result in significant harm to both life and property. However, the chances of that happening are even less than negligible to none, as far as this asteroid is concerned.

Importance of studying asteroids

Scientists study asteroids to learn more about the early solar system and the conditions that existed when the planets were forming. Asteroids can also provide valuable resources such as water, metals, and other minerals. One such discovery was made by studying an asteroid.

Until now, it was believed that water was already present on Earth from earliest times. However, a recent study has made an astonishing discovery that puts this very thought into doubt. The study has revealed that water may have originated on asteroids.