Named "2021 LW3," this asteroid is 270 feet (82 meters) wide, making it a massive space object that is moving towards Earth.
It will pass within about 6 million kilometres of Earth.
NASA further revealed that Asteroid 2021 LW3 belongs to the Aten group of asteroids, named after the first Aten asteroid discovered in 1976.
Fortunately, 2021 LW3 is outside the "potentially hazardous" zone, which includes objects over 460 feet (140 meters) in size that come within 7.5 million kilometres of Earth's orbit.
The observer then sends the data to the IAU, which assigns a provisional name to the asteroid, like 2021 LW3.
Image: NASA
NASA has issued an alert about a large asteroid heading towards Earth. Named "2021 LW3," this asteroid is 270 feet (82 meters) wide, making it a massive space object that is moving towards Earth. It's travelling at a fiery speed of 35,410 kilometres per hour, much faster than we can imagine.
NASA's CNEOS data revealed that the closest approach to this asteroid is expected on June 6, 2024, at 21:15 UTC (2:45 IST, June 7th). It will pass within about 6 million kilometres of Earth. While this distance may seem huge to us, in space terms, it's quite close.
NASA further revealed that Asteroid 2021 LW3 belongs to the Aten group of asteroids, named after the first Aten asteroid discovered in 1976. This asteroid, the size of a building, is not a planet-killer but is still quite large.
Despite its speed, there's no need to worry. The asteroid will stay 2.31 million miles away from Earth during its closest approach. NASA's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) tracks asteroids and comets to assess any impact threats. Fortunately, 2021 LW3 is outside the "potentially hazardous" zone, which includes objects over 460 feet (140 meters) in size that come within 7.5 million kilometres of Earth's orbit.
How do asteroids get their names?
Asteroids are named through a process managed by the International Astronomical Union (IAU). It begins when an observer spots an asteroid on two consecutive nights. The observer then sends the data to the IAU, which assigns a provisional name to the asteroid, like 2021 LW3.
The provisional name includes the year of discovery and two letters indicating the order of discovery in that year. For example, asteroids found from January 1 to 15 get names like AA, AB, AC, and so on. Those found from January 16 to 31 are labeled BA, BB, and BC. This pattern continues throughout the year, ending with names like YA, YB, and YC for the final discoveries of the year.
