Five asteroids will fly past Earth between July 8 and July 16, albeit at safe distances, according to a dashboard run by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
The trajectories of the asteroids, of sizes varying between 50 and 240 feet in diameter, are monitored by the JPL.
AdvertisementOn July 13, 2024 NG will pass at 2,140,000 miles and finally, 2024 BY15 will come within 3,850,000 miles on July 16.
Meanwhile, NASA’s Deep Space Network’s Goldstone planetary radar recently observed two asteroids, 2024 MK and 2011 UL21, as they safely passed Earth.
The asteroid’s orbit was altered by Earth’s gravity, shortening its orbital period around the Sun by about 24 days.
Five asteroids will fly past Earth between July 8 and July 16, albeit at safe distances, according to a dashboard run by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
The trajectories of the asteroids, of sizes varying between 50 and 240 feet in diameter, are monitored by the JPL.
The first asteroid 2024 MT1 will pass at a distance of 936,000 miles on July 8, followed by 2024 ME1 at a distance of 2,700,000 miles from Earth on July 10, and the 2022 YS5 will approach at 2,620,000 miles on July 11.
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On July 13, 2024 NG will pass at 2,140,000 miles and finally, 2024 BY15 will come within 3,850,000 miles on July 16.
Meanwhile, NASA’s Deep Space Network’s Goldstone planetary radar recently observed two asteroids, 2024 MK and 2011 UL21, as they safely passed Earth.
Also read | Scientists discover water molecules on asteroid surface in a first
On June 27, asteroid 2011 UL21 passed Earth at a distance of 4.1 million miles (6.6 million kilometers), approximately 17 times the distance between the Moon and Earth. Discovered in 2011 by the NASA-funded Catalina Sky Survey, this was the first time the nearly mile-wide (1.5 kilometers) object was close enough to be imaged by radar. Using the Deep Space Network’s 230-foot-wide (70-meter) Goldstone Solar System Radar, JPL scientists found that 2011 UL21 is a binary system, with a smaller asteroid or moonlet orbiting it at a distance of about 1.9 miles (3 kilometers). Despite being classified as potentially hazardous, calculations show that it poses no threat to Earth in the foreseeable future.
Two days later, on June 29, the team observed asteroid 2024 MK passing Earth at a distance of only 184,000 miles (295,000 kilometers), slightly more than three-quarters the distance to the Moon. This 150-meter-wide asteroid appeared elongated and angular. The radar observations, conducted using a bistatic method with Goldstone’s DSS-14 and DSS-13 antennas, revealed detailed surface features such as concavities, ridges, and boulders about 30 feet (10 meters) wide. The asteroid’s orbit was altered by Earth’s gravity, shortening its orbital period around the Sun by about 24 days.
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“These observations are particularly important because they help us understand the physical properties and orbital dynamics of these near-Earth objects, which is crucial for planetary defense,” said Lance Benner, principal scientist at JPL.
