Asteroid Flyby: 100-Foot Space Rock Rapidly Approaches Earth, Expected to Pass on April 2 [NASA]

An asteroid rapidly approaching Earth is expected to pass our planet on Tuesday, April 2, according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

The upcoming asteroid flyby involves a 100-foot space rock with a size comparable to a commercial airplane. Although the asteroid will make a relatively close distance with Earth during its passage, it is neither likely to hit us nor deviate from its trajectory.

Asteroid Flyby

Despite its small size, the asteroid called "2024 FG3" hurtling towards Earth is being monitored by NASA. Aside from the trajectory of the space object, the US space agency is closely watching its trajectory since it is also moving at a speed of 54,377 kilometers per hour. In recent years, related celestial events, have been recorded by astronomers who constantly observe the objects, especially large asteroids.

The asteroid flyby of 2024 FG3 is reportedly bigger than a plane and is set to make a "dangerously close" approach as of early April. Moreover, varying estimates from different sources aside from NASA suggests that the celestial object could pass Earth on Monday, April 1, or Wednesday, April 3.

Still, Asteroid 2024 FG3, with an average estimated diameter of 32.38 meters, will make its closest approach to Earth by less than 0.05 astronomical units.

Also Read: Killer Asteroid Could Hit Earth in 2046: NASA Plans to Attack It

Asteroid Strikes

Asteroid strikes are significant threats to Earth since these space phenomena can lead to widespread damage and destruction once they enter our planet's atmosphere and hit the surface. In this context, meteor strikes, which involve a meteoroid (a small particle from an asteroid or comet) the size of a football field, hits Earth every 2,000 years or so. These events can result in significant damage to the area, according to NASA.

In terms of the short-range frequency of asteroid strikes, Earth is bombarded daily with more than 100 tons of dust and sand-sized particles. Meanwhile, an automobile-sized asteroid hits Earth's atmosphere once a year. The contact and reaction between the space rocks and our atmosphere creates a fireball that burns before it reaches the surface. This flash of light phenomenon is called a meteor, NASA adds.

Chicxulub Crater

The last time a planet-killing asteroid struck Earth occurred around 66 million years ago when a space object, called the "Chicxulub impactor" or "Chicxulub asteroid" landed in an area in what is now the Yucatan Peninsula. The Chicxulub crater was created when the 10-kilometer space rock created a powerful impact that also led to the extinction of almost all life that time, including all non-avian dinosaurs.

According to the Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI), the Chicxulub crater is not visible on Earth's like the famed Meteor Crater of Arizona. However, the Chicxulub impact site can be seen through a gravity map of the northwestern part of the Yucatan Peninsula, the LPI says. The Chicxulub crater was discovered by geophysicists Antonio Camargo and Glen Penfield who were searching for petroleum in the region during the late 1970s.

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