Two asteroids to fly by earth today, says NASA; Check speed, distance, size | World News
Nasa’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory is closely monitoring the two asteroids expected to pass the earth from a safe distance today, October 11.
The US space agency has issued an update on its website, about two space rocks, one being asteroid 2024 TR2, an 87-feet-long celestial object roughly the size of an aeroplane, set to fly past Earth on today. The asteroid is expected to fly by from a safe distance of 3.19 million miles (5.13 million kilometres), which is likely close enough for the astronomers to study and analyse the space rock.
This is a great opportunity for scientists to closely observe the passage of asteroids that have been around since the early solar system.
Asteroid 2024 TA3
Asteroid 2024 TA3 is 51 feet wide, the size of a house. The speed and size of the asteroid make it ‘potentially hazardous’. But the rock will pass the Earth from a safe distance. According to reports, the closest point between the asteroid and the earth would be around 2,980,000 miles away, which is even farther than the moon’s orbit.
Asteroid 2024 TR2
The Asteroid 2024 TR2 will likely be bigger in size. The diameter of the asteroid 2024 TR2 is 87 feet. The passing distance of an Asteroid is around 3,190,000 miles and this will also pass safely on October 11, 2024, without impacting anything on Earth. The asteroid will be around 13 times farther than the moon is from Earth. The asteroid is running at a speed of around 21,000 miles per hour (33,800 kilometres per hour), Nasa reported.
Ongoing Vigilance by NASA’s JPL
The JPL constantly scans the skies for potentially hazardous asteroids and tracks their paths ensuring the safety of the earth. This NASA laboratory carefully monitors paths and sizes of these celestial objects, shedding light on the solar system’s history.
Both asteroids will pass the earth harmlessly and scientists are considering it an opportunity to understand space deeply.
First Published: Oct 11 2024 | 5:08 PM IST
