An asteroid, comparable in size to an aeroplane at 110 feet (34 metres), is travelling at a staggering speed of 30,381 kmph towards Earth. The asteroid, classified as “potentially hazardous” by NASA, is set to miss Earth by about 3.4 million kilometres.
Named 2024 OR1, the asteroid presents a unique opportunity for both observation and scientific study. According to a NASA alert, 2024 OR1 will pass close to Earth on Tuesday, 6th August, at 13.11 UTC (6.41 PM IST). There will be no impact on Earth, the alert added.
Notably, asteroid 2024 OR1 is part of the Apollo asteroids, which have been making their closest approach to Earth recently. These asteroids are near-Earth objects (NEOs) and have orbits that cross the path of Earth. Although most NEOs do not carry the risk of impact, some of them are considered potentially hazardous asteroids (PHAs) and need closer monitoring. An object larger than about 150 metres that can approach Earth within 7.5 million kilometres is termed a potentially hazardous object.
According to NASA, the orbits of NEOs can bring them to within 120 million miles (195 million kilometres) of the Sun, meaning they can circulate through Earth’s orbital neighbourhood. Most NEOs are asteroids that range in size from about 10 feet (a few metres) to nearly 25 miles (40 kilometres) across.
NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) tracks all known NEOs to assess collision risks.
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