Produced by: Manoj Kumar
NASA has confirmed a 10-story asteroid will skim past Earth at 14,743 mph on Christmas Eve, a stark reminder of space hazards.
Asteroid 2024 XN1, measuring up to 230 feet, will pass within 4.48 million miles of Earth—close by astronomical standards.
If it were to collide, the impact would release energy equivalent to 12 million tons of TNT, flattening 700 square miles.
Astronomer Jess Lee compared it to the Tunguska Event of 1908, where a similar-sized asteroid leveled 80 million trees in Siberia.
Discovered on December 12 by NASA and ESA, the asteroid was labeled a "close approach," though collision risk is zero.
After this year’s pass, the asteroid will return closer in 2032 and make its nearest approach in 2106 at just 2.11 million miles.
Despite its size, 2024 XN1 won’t be visible even with amateur telescopes, highlighting the importance of advanced monitoring.
NASA’s DART mission demonstrated asteroid deflection capabilities, marking progress in planetary defense strategies.
Asteroid flybys, though harmless this time, are a sobering reminder of Earth’s vulnerability to space impacts.