Asteroids As Big As An Airplane & A Bus To Pass Earth Today, NASA Warns

Another asteroid, 2024 RK7, will pass by Earth on September 25. This asteroid measures 100 feet in diameter. 

Both asteroids pose no threat to our planet. (Representative image)

Source : freepik

Two asteroids which are as big as an airplane and a bus will pass by Earth today, according to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Asteroid 2024 RO11, recently discovered, is much larger at 120 feet. It is almost the size of an airplane. This asteroid will pass by Earth at a safe distance of around 4,580,000 miles.

The smaller one, asteroid 2020 GE, measures 26 feet in diameter, is about the size of a bus. It will come relatively close to Earth, passing at a distance of just 410,000 miles. Both asteroids pose no threat to our planet. Equipped with specialised telescopes, skywatchers may even catch a glimpse of them.

Two peanut-shaped asteroids in one month?

That begs the question... How many peanut-shaped asteroids does it take to qualify as a peanut gallery??

More on 2024ON, which safely flew past Earth on Tuesday: https://t.co/WjOqOxAYxG https://t.co/lTenZhZ7Mh pic.twitter.com/v1jgtxJqkM

— NASA JPL (@NASAJPL) September 18, 2024

Another asteroid, 2024 RK7, will pass by Earth on September 25 (Wednesday). Slightly smaller than 2024 RO11, this asteroid measures 100 feet in diameter. 

Asteroids vary in size and shape, and while many pass safely by Earth, some enter our atmosphere. An asteroid, measuring around 950 feet, passed by Earth on September 17. Named (2024 ON), the asteroid made its closest approach to Earth at a distance of approximately 621,000 miles after first passing near the moon. The same day, two other asteroids passed by Earth. 

According to NASA's Asteroid Watch website, an object is considered potentially hazardous if it's larger than 150 meters in diameter and can come close to Earth. Asteroid Watch dashboard tracks asteroids and comets that will make relatively close approaches to Earth. It displays the date of closest approach, approximate object diameter, relative size and distance from Earth for each encounter. The object's name is displayed by hovering over its encounter date. 

The average distance between Earth and the moon is about 239,000 miles (385,000 kilometers).