An asteroid the size of a jumbo jet will have a close encounter with Earth today (Sept. 1), zooming past our planet at about one-third the average distance to the moon.
Asteroid 2011 ES4 will make its closest approach today at 12:12 p.m. EDT (1612 GMT), according to NASA . At that time, it will be about 75,400 miles (121,000 kilometers) from Earth. Because the object's orbit isn't well known, it could pass even closer than that, at a distance of just 45,400 miles (73,000 km), NASA added.
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News | Tiny Asteroid Buzzes by Earth - the Closest Flyby on Record
Asteroid 2018 VP₁ may be heading for Earth. But there's no need to worry
Jonti Horner does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
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Social media around the world lit up over the weekend, discussing the possibility that an asteroid (known as 2018 VP₁) could crash into Earth on November 2.
It seemed only fitting. What better way to round off a year that has seen catastrophic floods, explosions, fires, and storms – and, of course, a global pandemic?
Asteroid attack: 'Near-Earth Object' bigger than Egypt's Pyramid to hit
NASA scientists say an asteroid twice the size of the Great Pyramid of Giza is set to hit the Earth's orbit on Sunday.
The huge object, travelling at a speed of 31,400 mph, will be entering the Earth's orbit on September 6, according to NASA scientists. The asteroid is called the "Near-Earth Object".
The scientists have reportedly been tracking it since 2010. The asteroid, dubbed 465824 (2010 FR), will be 4.6 million miles away from the Earth and poses no threat to our planet, however, it has been classified as "close approach" by NASA.
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Nasa spacecraft falls to Earth after being mistaken for an asteroid | The Independent |
A Nasa spacecraft has safely dropped down to Earth and burnt up in its atmosphere, the space agency has said.
It safely dropped back onto Earth over the South Pacific on Saturday, burning up as it did. Nasa had assured the public before the event that it would pose "no threat to our planet – or anyone on it – and this is a normal final operational occurrence for retired spacecraft".
The old scientific craft was originally thought to be an object on an impact trajectory with Earth when it was spotted last week.
Asteroid headed near Earth the day before Election Day
Scientists say an asteroid is expected to zoom uncomfortably close to Earth on the day before Election Day.
The celestial object, known as 2018 VP1, is expected to buzz Earth on November 2 , according to the Center for Near Objects Studies at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
According to NASA, 2018 VP1 is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. Computer simulations have not indicated any imminent likelihood of a collision.
Asteroids Bigger Than Football Fields Earthbound: This is How Close They'll Get to Us
Asteroids are no rarity in space. Each month, a number of asteroids briskly fly past our planet at varying distances of intersection with the Earth's orbit. As per norm, September too plays host to a number of these space rocks, with USA's space agency NASA's Centre for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) revealing a total of seven such asteroids to be coming within close proximity of Earth.
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The first big asteroid approaching Earth is as early as Sunday, September 6, and to make matters worse, it ticks all the checkboxes for being a potentially hazardous asteroid (PHA). Asteroid 465824 2010 FR will approach us Sunday, and its diameter is approximately 270 metres wide. In comparative terms, it is as large as twice the size of Giza's biggest pyramids , and its magnitude scale of 21.7 also qualifies it within NASA's scale of hazardous objects near Earth.
Lucy One Step Closer to Exploring the Trojan Asteroids
Happening on Twitter
An airplane-size asteroid gives Earth a close shave today https://t.co/IZFsg1VAyB https://t.co/nvN3PeQmpc SPACEdotcom (from NYC) Tue Sep 01 16:19:03 +0000 2020
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