UNITED STATES: NASA has issued advisories regarding three asteroids: 2023 JL1, 2023 JO1, and 2023 JD2. The former, which is 46 feet in diameter and will travel 2,990,000 kilometres to get near to Earth, is the size of a house. The latter measures 200 feet in diameter and will pass Earth at a distance of 5,630,000 kilometres.
This news has made headlines as asteroids approaching Earth have the potential to cause massive disasters for human life. However, NASA assures that this particular asteroid poses no collision threat to our planet.
NASA has issued advisories regarding three asteroids: 2023 JL1, 2023 JO1, and 2023 JD2. The former, which is 46 feet in diameter and will travel 2,990,000 kilometres to get near Earth, is the size of a house. The latter measures 200 feet in diameter and will pass Earth at a distance of 5,630,000 kilometres.
The Asteroid Watch programme of NASA keeps tabs on asteroids and comets that will pass relatively close to the planet. The dashboard shows each encounter’s most immediate approach date, approximate object diameter, relative size, and separation from Earth. It monitors asteroids that are 7.5 million km or less away from Earth.
It’s worth noting that none of the 30,000 asteroids catalogued in the vicinity of Earth will threaten our planet for the next 100 years, including the three mentioned above.
According to NASA, the birth of our solar system started approximately 4.6 billion years ago when a large cloud of gas and dust collapsed, leaving behind asteroids. When this occurred, most of the material fell to the cloud’s centre and created the sun. In the cloud, some of the dust that was condensing formed planets.
Asteroids have ragged and irregular shapes and are not ubiquitous like planets. Most asteroids are composed of various types of rocks, although some also contain clays or metals like nickel and iron.
Due to their different origins and distances from the sun, no two asteroids are alike in size and shape.
In conclusion, while it’s always noteworthy to be informed about asteroids approaching Earth, it’s important to remember that NASA’s Asteroid Watch program constantly monitors these space rocks to ensure that any potential threats are identified well in advance.
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