Scary asteroid close call today! NASA reveals Asteroid 2023 EV2 approaching Earth

Though most asteroids are found in a ring between the orbit of Mars and Jupiter, called the asteroid belt, that doesn't mean they've never come close to Earth. In fact, some space rocks have made their way towards Earth in the past and impacted the surface. Just yesterday, a 44 feet wide asteroid had a very close call with the planet. NASA has an eye on another asteroid which is set to make a close approach with the planet today.

Asteroid 2023 EV2 details

The asteroid, named Asteroid 2023 EV2 will fly past Earth today, March 20. This space rock will make its closest approach to the planet at a distance of just 1.7 million kilometers, according to NASA. The 64 feet wide asteroid will pass Earth at a staggering speed of 47605 kilometers per hour.

More details

According to NASA, the Asteroid 2023 EV2 belongs to the Apollo group of asteroids which are a group of near-Earth asteroids named after the humongous 1862 Apollo asteroid, discovered by German astronomer Karl Reinmuth in the 1930s. It was discovered just days ago on March 14 and takes 1023 days to complete one orbit around the Sun. During this trip, its maximum distance from the Sun is 459 million kilometers and its nearest distance is 136 million kilometers.

Although this asteroid is expected to pass Earth by a close distance, it still has not been classified as a ?Potentially Hazardous Object? due to its relatively small size.

What is NASA doing to find potentially hazardous asteroids?

NASA has established a Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDCO), managed in the Planetary Science Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. The PDCO ensures the early detection of potentially hazardous objects (PHOs) - asteroids and comets whose orbits are predicted to bring them within 0.05 Astronomical Units of Earth (5 million miles or 8 million kilometers) and of a size large enough to reach Earth's surface - that is, greater than approximately 30 to 50 meters.

NASA tracks and characterizes these objects and issues warnings about potential impacts, providing timely and accurate information.

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