NASA Says Airplane-sized Asteroid Will Safely Zoom Past Earth On August 5, Should You Be Concerned?

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While the space rock may sound alarming, experts confirm it poses no threat to the planet, passing safely at a distance of over 4.5 million kilometers

In yet another reminder that space is always full of surprises, NASA has reported that a large asteroid—roughly the size of a commercial airplane-is—is set to fly past Earth on Monday, August 5. The asteroid, officially known as 2024 PK4, is estimated to be about 170 feet (around 52 meters) in diameter.

However, before you start scanning the skies or imagining a scene out of a Hollywood disaster movie, here's the good news: there's no risk of impact.

According to NASA's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS), the asteroid will pass by Earth at a safe distance of around 4.5 million kilometers — that's more than 11 times the distance from Earth to the Moon.

Despite the relatively close flyby in cosmic terms, scientists have classified the asteroid as ⁘potentially hazardous⁘ — a label that's based on its size and proximity to Earth's orbit, not because it's on a collision course.

Yes, absolutely. NASA's planetary defense experts regularly track thousands of NEOs like this one. The space agency says there's zero chance of 2024 PK4 hitting Earth during this pass.

These close encounters offer scientists valuable opportunities to study asteroids, learning more about their orbits, composition, and behavior, all of which could help protect our planet in the distant future.

While it's always a bit thrilling to hear about massive space rocks flying near our planet, there's no need to panic. This one will be just another cosmic flyby—fast, distant, and entirely harmless.

So, if the skies are clear where you are and you've got a good telescope, you might just be able to catch a glimpse of it.

Otherwise, sit back and let NASA do the watching.