Produced by: Tarun Mishra
Tonight, June 27, 2024, an asteroid named 2011 UL21 will make an exceptionally close pass by Earth, traveling at a staggering speed of approximately 58,000 mph (93,000 km/h).
Classified as a "potentially hazardous" asteroid, 2011 UL21 follows an orbit that brings it within 1.3 astronomical units (AU) of the sun, which is about 1.3 times the average distance between Earth and the sun. It completes one orbit around the sun every three years.
Credit: NASA-JPL
Estimates based on past observations suggest that 2011 UL21 has a diameter ranging between 1.1 and 2.4 miles (1.7 to 3.9 kilometres), making it larger than 99% of known near-Earth asteroids, according to the European Space Agency (ESA).
Despite its classification and size, 2011 UL21 will pass by Earth at a safe distance of approximately 4.1 million miles (6.6 million kilometres) away. This proximity is considered close in astronomical terms but poses no threat to Earth.
This pass marks the closest approach of 2011 UL21 to Earth in at least 110 years, based on simulations conducted by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
The Virtual Telescope Project (VTP) will host a live broadcast starting at 4 p.m. ET on June 27, allowing viewers to observe the asteroid's closest approach. The livestream will feature views from the Bellatrix Astronomical Observatory in Ceccano, Italy, capturing this rare astronomical event.
Following tonight's close approach, 2011 UL21 will not approach Earth as closely again until 2089, when it is expected to come within 1.7 million miles (2.7 million kilometres) of our planet, more than two and a half times closer than its current pass.
Credit: ESA
This close approach provides astronomers and space enthusiasts with a unique opportunity to observe and study a large asteroid from a safe distance. Such events are rare and contribute valuable data to our understanding of asteroids and their potential impacts on Earth.