Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Manoj Kumar
Recently, NASA’s Goldstone planetary radar monitored two asteroids as they safely passed by Earth, providing critical data for planetary defence and asteroid research.
On June 27, 2024, asteroid 2011 UL21 passed Earth from a distance of approximately 6.6 million kilometres, equivalent to about 17 times the distance between Earth and the Moon.
This nearly mile-wide asteroid, discovered in 2011, was observed for nine days using the 230-foot-wide Goldstone Solar System Radar. It was identified as a binary system with a smaller moonlet orbiting it at a distance of 3 kilometres.
On June 29, 2024, asteroid 2024 MK came closer, passing Earth at a distance of 184,000 miles (295,000 kilometres), approximately 77% of the Earth-Moon distance.
Discovered only on June 16, 2024, by the ATLAS-Sutherland observatory in South Africa, asteroid 2024 MK underwent radar observations for three days. These observations revealed its elongated and angular shape, with distinct flat and rounded regions.
Both asteroids, 2011 UL21 and 2024 MK, are classified as Potentially Hazardous Asteroids due to their proximity to Earth and size.
The radar observations provided detailed insights into the asteroids’ structures and orbits, aiding in planetary defence strategies and advancing asteroid research.
NASA’s ongoing efforts with the cdemonstrate its commitment to monitoring and studying asteroids for potential impact hazards and scientific exploration.