Multiple asteroids are set to make comparatively shut approaches to Earth within the coming days. The largest among the many 5 on Nasa Asteroid watch, asteroid (2024 XN1), is about 120 ft huge i.e. round a dimension of an airplane.
The asteroid (2024 XN1) is ready to make its closest strategy to Earth on December 24 at roughly 02.57 TDB (Barycentric Dynamical Time- a relativistic coordinate timescale particularly designed for astronomical purposes).
At its nominal distance, the asteroid will go inside 7,217,247 kilometers (4,480,000 miles) of Earth, with a minimal doable distance of seven,182,369 kilometers and a most of seven,252,123 kilometers.
Traveling at a relative velocity of 6.59 kilometers per second (roughly 23,724 kilometers per hour), this asteroid has put Nasa on alert a minimum of until Christmas eve.
However, earlier than this, different smaller asteroids will even make shut approaches. On December 19 (US time), the 49-foot asteroid (2024 YA) will go at 869,000 miles. Asteroid (2020 XY4), measuring 44 ft, will go at 3,030,000 miles on December 20. Two asteroids will go on December 21: the 50-foot (2024 XQ4) at 656,000 miles and the 60-foot (2024 XN15) at 2,350,000 miles.
Nasa’s Asteroid Watch dashboard tracks objects approaching inside 4.6 million miles of Earth. Objects bigger than 150 meters inside this distance are thought of doubtlessly hazardous. The dashboard gives data on the asteroids’ dimension, distance, and closest strategy date.
None of the presently tracked asteroids pose a menace to Earth. “Objects approaching inside 4.6 million miles and bigger than 150 meters are categorised as doubtlessly hazardous, although all presently tracked objects pose no menace to our planet.” For reference, the typical Earth-moon distance is about 239,000 miles.
Nasa on alert as airplane-sized 120-foot asteroid to strategy Earth on Christmas eve – Times of India
