Produced by: BT Desk Designed by: Manoj Kumar
A 720-foot-wide asteroid, 2024 ON, will pass just 620,000 miles from Earth on September 15—a close call in cosmic terms.
The asteroid is roughly the size of two football fields, making it one of the larger near-Earth objects to pass by this year.
Skygazers in the northern hemisphere can catch a glimpse of 2024 ON through telescopes or binoculars during its flyby.
NASA closely monitors near-Earth objects like 2024 ON to refine predictions and assess potential risks.
The flyby offers a unique chance for scientists to gather data on the asteroid’s composition and movement.
Asteroids like 2024 ON vary in makeup, from rocky materials to metals like nickel and iron, formed over 4.6 billion years ago.
Objects like 2024 ON are closely watched, as they are larger than 150 meters and pass within 4.6 million miles of Earth.
NASA’s DART mission is testing technology to alter an asteroid’s course, part of ongoing efforts to protect Earth.
Credit : NASA