NASA alert! Gigantic 120-foot asteroid to fly past Earth at 7 km per second speed on Christmas Eve
Asteroids are not just random space rocks; they are remnants from the early solar system, offering valuable insights into the conditions that shaped the formation of Earth and other planets.
- Dec 19, 2024,
- Updated Dec 19, 2024 5:17 PM IST
Astronomers are closely monitoring asteroid 2024 XN1, which is set to pass by Earth on December 24. Measuring 120 feet in size, the celestial body will come relatively close to the planet.
The asteroid will pass at a distance of 4,480,000 miles — over 16 times the distance between Earth and the Moon. It will travel at a speed of 14,743 miles per hour (6.59 km per second) and is expected to make its closest approach at 2:57 am. While the event is considered a ‘near-miss’, scientists confirm that Earth will remain unaffected.
Asteroids are not just random space rocks; they are remnants from the early solar system, offering valuable insights into the conditions that shaped the formation of Earth and other planets. NASA actively studies these objects using advanced radar systems and telescopes to monitor their movements and predict their future trajectories.
While 2024 XN1’s flyby poses no immediate threat, it serves as a reminder of the need for planetary defence. Monitoring near-Earth objects remains crucial to safeguarding the planet. Past impacts, like the one that led to the dinosaurs' extinction, underscore the importance of these efforts.
Managed for NASA at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) accurately characterises the orbits of all known near-Earth objects, predicts their close approaches with Earth, and makes comprehensive impact hazard assessments in support of the agency’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
The majority of near-Earth objects have orbits that don’t bring them very close to Earth, and therefore pose no risk of impact, but a small fraction of them – called potentially hazardous asteroids – require more attention. These objects are defined as asteroids that are more than about 460 feet (140 meters) in size with orbits that bring them as close as within 4.6 million miles (7.5 million kilometers) of Earth’s orbit around the Sun. CNEOS continuously monitors all known near-Earth objects to assess any impact risk they may pose.
Near-Earth objects are asteroids and comets with orbits that bring them to within 120 million miles (195 million kilometers) of the Sun, which means they can circulate through the Earth’s orbital neighborhood. Most near-Earth objects are asteroids that range in size from about 10 feet (a few meters) to nearly 25 miles (40 kilometers) across.
Astronomers are closely monitoring asteroid 2024 XN1, which is set to pass by Earth on December 24. Measuring 120 feet in size, the celestial body will come relatively close to the planet.
The asteroid will pass at a distance of 4,480,000 miles — over 16 times the distance between Earth and the Moon. It will travel at a speed of 14,743 miles per hour (6.59 km per second) and is expected to make its closest approach at 2:57 am. While the event is considered a ‘near-miss’, scientists confirm that Earth will remain unaffected.
Asteroids are not just random space rocks; they are remnants from the early solar system, offering valuable insights into the conditions that shaped the formation of Earth and other planets. NASA actively studies these objects using advanced radar systems and telescopes to monitor their movements and predict their future trajectories.
While 2024 XN1’s flyby poses no immediate threat, it serves as a reminder of the need for planetary defence. Monitoring near-Earth objects remains crucial to safeguarding the planet. Past impacts, like the one that led to the dinosaurs' extinction, underscore the importance of these efforts.
Managed for NASA at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) accurately characterises the orbits of all known near-Earth objects, predicts their close approaches with Earth, and makes comprehensive impact hazard assessments in support of the agency’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
The majority of near-Earth objects have orbits that don’t bring them very close to Earth, and therefore pose no risk of impact, but a small fraction of them – called potentially hazardous asteroids – require more attention. These objects are defined as asteroids that are more than about 460 feet (140 meters) in size with orbits that bring them as close as within 4.6 million miles (7.5 million kilometers) of Earth’s orbit around the Sun. CNEOS continuously monitors all known near-Earth objects to assess any impact risk they may pose.
Near-Earth objects are asteroids and comets with orbits that bring them to within 120 million miles (195 million kilometers) of the Sun, which means they can circulate through the Earth’s orbital neighborhood. Most near-Earth objects are asteroids that range in size from about 10 feet (a few meters) to nearly 25 miles (40 kilometers) across.