NASA says aircraft-sized asteroid may pass Earth by a close margin today

NASA, with the help of its advanced space and ground-based telescopes, has recently tracked the asteroid that is set to pass Earth today, April 18.

Apart from posing a threat to Earth, asteroids can also provide valuable resources such as water, metals, and other minerals.

Research on asteroids is critical since it can provide valuable information on the early stages of the solar system and planetary development.

From size, speed to distance of approach, know all about the asteroid encounter today.

The asteroid has been given the designation of Asteroid 2023 HU3 by NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS).

As per NASA, the asteroid is approximately 110 feet wide, making it almost as big as an aircraft and will pass Earth at a distance of about 6.1 million kilometres.

While this asteroid will pass by closely, it isn’t big enough to cause panic or any potential damage.