NASA claims aircraft-sized asteroid to come as close as 1.3 million km to Earth

Asteroids are mostly located in the main asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter in our solar system.

However, their orbits bring them close to Earth on some occasions, potentially raising the possibility of impact.

These close calls with asteroids highlight the importance of continued technological development in asteroid detection and monitoring programs such as NASA’s DART test.

With the help of its ground and space-based telescopes, NASA has tracked an asteroid whose orbit will bring it very close to Earth today, April 17.

As per the Center for Near-Earth Object Studies, an asteroid, given the designation of Asteroid 2024 GM1, is set to pass Earth.

This near-Earth space rock is expected to pass Earth today at a close distance of just 1.3 million kilometres.

It is already hurtling in its orbit at a speed of about 37391 kilometres per hour, which is much faster than Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs)!

In terms of size, Asteroid 2024 GM1 is nearly 90 feet wide, which makes it almost as big as an aircraft!