NASA Alerts Us To An Asteroid 110 Feet Ahead of Earth Tomorrow; Check Its Speed, Distance, and Time
NASA issues a warning that the 110-foot-long asteroid 2024 OR1 will be nearing Earth tomorrow. Find information about its distance, speed, and NASA’s tracking attempts
An asteroid known as 2024 OR1 has been reported by NASA. It is scheduled to pass Earth on August 6, 2024, at 13:11 UTC (6:41 PM IST). This asteroid, which is about the size of an airliner and is traveling at a speed of 30,381 km/h, is 110 feet (34 meters) in size. 2024 OR1 is categorized as an asteroid from Apollo.
What Asteroids Are Apollo?
One kind of near-Earth object (NEO) that crosses Earth’s path in its orbit is the Apollo asteroids. The majority of NEOs pass very near to Earth, but some—known as potentially dangerous asteroids—need to be observed with greater caution. Larger than 460 feet (140 meters) and with trajectories that bring them within 4.6 million miles (7.5 million kilometers) of Earth’s orbit around the Sun are the characteristics of these potentially dangerous asteroids.
Will Earth be Hit by Asteroid 2024 OR1?
The good news is that OR1 will pass Earth in 2024 at a safe distance of around 3.4 million kilometers, well outside of the potentially dangerous zone. Because of its modest size, it does not fit the description of a potentially hazardous asteroid, even if it is rather close.
How Is Asteroids Tracked by NASA?
All known NEOs are monitored by NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) in order to assess any possible impact threats. The Minor Planet Center, the world’s central repository for small-body position measurements, provides the orbital locations of these objects. Global observatories provide data, with amateur astronomers making substantial contributions as well. But much of the data on tracking asteroids is gathered by big NASA-funded observatories such as the Catalina Sky Survey and Pan-STARRS. These observations will be improved much better by the future NEO Surveyor mission. Furthermore, NASA’s NEO Observations Program depends heavily on planetary radar programs like JPL’s Goldstone Solar System Radar Group.
Imagine an asteroid similar to 2024 OR1 striking Earth
The result of an asteroid collision with Earth, similar as 2024 OR1, would be contingent upon the asteroid’s size, velocity, and point of impact. Similar to the 2013 incident in Chelyabinsk, Russia, when a smaller asteroid caused major injuries and property damage, a 110-foot asteroid may create considerable regional devastation. On the other side, larger asteroids may cause climate change and other catastrophic occurrences like tsunamis.
But based on available information and ongoing observation, we are optimistic that 2024 OR1 will pass through unharmed and securely.
