NASA spots dangerous 64-foot wide asteroid zooming towards Earth today.
Yesterday marked the peak of the Geminid meteor shower, but stargazers can still enjoy the spectacle of bright meteors streaking across the sky for a few more days. However, amidst this celestial show, another object has captured the attention of NASA and the public—an asteroid hurtling towards Earth. Measuring 64 feet wide, this potentially hazardous asteroid is making its closest approach to our planet today, December 15. The question arises: what are the chances of an asteroid strike? Let’s delve into the details.
NASA’s recent reports provide significant information about the approaching asteroid named 2022 XO, which was first detected on December 1 this year, according to the Small-Body Database. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) reveals that the asteroid will come as close as 3.2 million kilometers to Earth. While this may seem like a vast distance, data from the Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) might surprise you. The asteroid is hurtling through space at an astonishing speed of 30,888 kilometers per hour!
However, there’s no need to panic. NASA predicts that the asteroid will safely pass by our planet. Nevertheless, for precautionary purposes, the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (NEOWISE) telescope is closely monitoring its trajectory. This technological marvel, a space telescope tasked with monitoring nearby space rocks within the inner circle of the solar system, provides an extra layer of vigilance.
Among NASA’s impressive tech marvels is New Horizons, an interplanetary space probe launched as part of the agency’s New Frontiers program. Launched in 2006, its primary mission was to conduct a flyby study of the Pluto system in 2015. It subsequently embarked on a secondary mission to fly by and study one or more objects in the Kuiper Belt in the following decade. New Horizons became the fifth space probe to achieve the escape velocity needed to leave the Solar System, with its mission focusing on 486958 Arrokoth.
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While the meteor shower provides a captivating celestial display, NASA’s diligent monitoring of the approaching asteroid ensures that we can enjoy the wonders of the universe without worrying about potential cosmic threats.
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