By 200-foot Asteroid speeding Towards Earth: Check Time, Speed And Distance
NASA has confirmed that a massive asteroid dubbed 2024 JG15, measuring 200-foot (61 metres), is heading towards Earth today. NASA issued an alert about this giant space rock, which travels at a speed of 38,911 kilometres per hour. Asteroids are usually small, rocky objects that orbit the Sun. They may be made up of elements or dust from other planets and can float in space for years. When a large asteroid heads towards Earth, it poses a possible threat of mass destruction.
If an asteroid the size of a building hits Earth, it could potentially wipe out an entire city and threaten many living beings! Just like the Chicxulub event. Around 66 million years ago, a massive asteroid, roughly 6 miles wide, collided with Earth near present-day Mexico, creating the Chicxulub crater. The impact caused widespread devastation, triggering tsunamis, wildfires, and a global dust cloud that blocked sunlight. This darkness and cooling climate led to the extinction of dinosaurs and many other species.
However, there is a relief with the asteroid 2024 JG15. NASA’s JPL has confirmed that this asteroid will pass Earth at a relatively close distance of 1.58 million miles. Though this seems like a wide distance, it is considered quite close in space terms.
How Does NASA Monitor Asteroids?NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) vigilantly observes these celestial bodies, particularly those considered potentially hazardous. NASA categorise asteroids as potentially hazardous to those which exceed 460-foot in diameter and come within 4.6 million miles (7.5 million kilometres) of Earth’s orbit. Hence, asteroid 2024 JG15 falls short of this classification due to its smaller size, however, its near passage makes it crucial to track the asteroids constantly.
The majority of asteroid-tracking information is primarily gathered by observatories, with notable contributors including Pan-STARRS, the Catalina Sky Survey, NASA’s NEOWISE mission, and the upcoming NEO Surveyor. Supporting these observatories are planetary radar initiatives, such as JPL’s Goldstone Solar System Radar Group, which plays a crucial role in NASA’s NEO Observations Program.
