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NASA has warned about three asteroids that are approaching earth on July 17. The biggest of the lot-Asteroid 2024 NF- is 220 meters in size. However its size has been countered by the distance. It will be, at its closest approach to earth, at a distance of 3 million miles. The second asteroid- Asteroid 2024 NJ3- will pass earth from a distance of 763,000 miles. Scientists, however, are most concerned about Asteroid 2024 NM3, which is almost 100 feet in diameter.
Asteroid 2024 NM3 is 96 feet in diameter and will pass by earth at a distance of 484,000 miles away. NASA’s CNEOS data has suggested that it is moving at a speed of 26,525 km/hr. This distance is just double the distance of the moon from earth. Although NASA has assured that there is imminent threat to earth from this asteroid the size and the distance of its closest approach have made the scientists anxious.
There are two classes of Near Earth Asteroids or NEA. This asteroid is part of the Aten group of asteroids. These earth crossing asteroids were discovered in 1976, these asteroids cross earth’s orbit but have an orbital period(time taken to complete one orbit around another object) of less than 1 year. The Apollo class of asteroids have an orbital period of more than 1 year.
As per NASA only those celestial objects are considered a potential threat to earth, which have a diameter of more than 150 meters and pass within 7.4 million kilometers(4.6 million miles) to earth. Asteroid 2024 NM3 does not fulfill the criteria of being hazardous.
Various space agencies around the world are actively working towards production of systems that can help in deflection and destruction by celestial objects moving towards earth. One of these systems developed by NASA is called the DART mission. The European Space Agency or ESA too is working on a NEA deflection system called RAMSES short form for Rapid Apophis Mission for Space Safety. This mission is specially for an asteroid named Apophis that is predicted to pass less than 32 000 km from Earth’s surface.
Asteroids move in their orbits around the sun until they pass close enough to a planet or moon and then their orbit is disrupted. This hurls them in different direction and might hit surfaces of other planets.
Asteroid 2024 NM3 is 96 feet in diameter and will pass by earth at a distance of 484,000 miles away. NASA’s CNEOS data has suggested that it is moving at a speed of 26,525 km/hr. This distance is just double the distance of the moon from earth. Although NASA has assured that there is imminent threat to earth from this asteroid the size and the distance of its closest approach have made the scientists anxious.
There are two classes of Near Earth Asteroids or NEA. This asteroid is part of the Aten group of asteroids. These earth crossing asteroids were discovered in 1976, these asteroids cross earth’s orbit but have an orbital period(time taken to complete one orbit around another object) of less than 1 year. The Apollo class of asteroids have an orbital period of more than 1 year.
As per NASA only those celestial objects are considered a potential threat to earth, which have a diameter of more than 150 meters and pass within 7.4 million kilometers(4.6 million miles) to earth. Asteroid 2024 NM3 does not fulfill the criteria of being hazardous.
Various space agencies around the world are actively working towards production of systems that can help in deflection and destruction by celestial objects moving towards earth. One of these systems developed by NASA is called the DART mission. The European Space Agency or ESA too is working on a NEA deflection system called RAMSES short form for Rapid Apophis Mission for Space Safety. This mission is specially for an asteroid named Apophis that is predicted to pass less than 32 000 km from Earth’s surface.
Asteroids move in their orbits around the sun until they pass close enough to a planet or moon and then their orbit is disrupted. This hurls them in different direction and might hit surfaces of other planets.
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