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92-foot Asteroid 2024 NH is rushing toward Earth today at a scorching speed of 19638.82 kmph, NASA revealed.
This massive asteroid will get as close as 3,130,000 miles of Earth, NASA reported. (Pixabay)
A 92-foot asteroid today is heading for a close approach to Earth, says US space agency NASA. The asteroid will get as close as 3,130,000 miles of Earth on July 23, 2024. The asteroid has been classified as a near-Earth object (NEO) and also indicated that it belongs to the Apollo group of asteroids. The asteroid speed clocked by NASA is a scorching 5.46 km per second. When translated into kilometres per hour, the asteroid speed is 19638.82 kmph.
Is there a reason to worry about this asteroid straying from its orbit? Asteroids are small space rocks and they can succumb to the gravitational pulls of the planets they pass near to, but this one is expected to hold true to its path and fly by Earth.
However, many asteroids have actually been “captured” by planets and turned into their satellites. This includes the two moons of Mars. According to current theory, both of the moons of Mars, Pheibos and Deimos are captured asteroids. In fact, Phobos, which is the bigger of the two, actually orbits the Red Planet as many as three times a day. It is also very close to Mars. It has also been theorised that the asteroid that struck Earth 66 mn years ago and caused the extinction of dinosaurs, was pulled toward Earth by the gravity of Jupiter.
And now, back to Asteroid 2024 NH. The asteroid is expected to make a comeback in 2025.
This asteroid is not the only asteroid to come by Earth today. There is an even larger one rushing toward Earth. This is Asteroid 2024 LY2. It will get as close as 2,850,000 miles of Earth. It has been classified as a near-Earth object (NEO) belonging to the Apollo group of asteroids.
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