Today is Asteroid Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness about the hazards asteroids pose to Earth. It commemorates the Tunguska event on June 30, 1908, when a massive asteroid exploded above the Tunguska region in Siberia, Russia [2aff1ede].
A hazardous asteroid named Asteroid 2024 JJ5 is approaching Earth today, but it is not expected to crash. The day aims to educate the public about the dangers of asteroids and the need to defend Earth from future impacts. Asteroid Day was co-founded by rock star and astrophysicist Brian May [2aff1ede].
NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) have addressed the possibility of asteroid 2023 DW hitting Earth on Valentine's Day in 2046. The 50-meter wide asteroid has been ranked as number one on the Torino scale, indicating no unusual level of danger or chance of collision. Italian astronomer Piero Sicoli has predicted a 1 in 400 chance of the asteroid hitting Earth and has devised a map predicting where it could hit. However, both NASA and ESA have stated that the chances of the asteroid hitting Earth are very low, with less than a one percent chance in 23 years. They assure that the asteroid is not expected to pose a significant risk to public safety [abcf2078].
NASA's recent assessment of potential asteroid impacts highlighted significant gaps in global preparedness for such events. The assessment, conducted during the fifth biennial Planetary Defense Interagency Tabletop Exercise, emphasized the importance of refining disaster management plans and improving readiness to execute space missions swiftly. The exercise also marked a significant milestone with the use of data from NASA's DART mission, which demonstrated the redirection of an asteroid's trajectory using kinetic impactors [4329507c].
To enhance Earth's capability to detect and monitor near-Earth objects, NASA is progressing with NEO Surveyor, an infrared space telescope slated for launch in June 2028 [46c944f6]. Despite the potential risks, NASA tracks asteroids using data from observatories worldwide and radar projects, ensuring that potential impact threats are monitored and studied. The Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) is responsible for monitoring potential impact threats and conducting impact exercises. Fortunately, there are currently no significant impact threats known for the next hundred years or more [46c944f6].
In addition to asteroid 2023 DW, there have been recent encounters with other asteroids. Asteroid 2011 UL21 is expected to come near Earth on June 27, 2024, at a speed of around 58,000 miles per hour. The Virtual Telescope Project will livestream the approach of the asteroid for free. Another asteroid called 2024 MK will make its closest approach to Earth on June 29, 2024, passing by at about three-quarters the distance from Earth to the moon. Skywatchers will need a small telescope to see it. An asteroid called Apophis will be visible to the naked eye from parts of Europe, Africa, and Asia on April 13, 2029 [0194eb3a].
Nasa has confirmed that Apophis, a 1,100-foot asteroid, will pass Earth on April 14, 2029, with a distance of just 38,012 kilometers or 23,619 miles. It will be 10 times closer to Earth than the moon and will be visible to observers in the Eastern Hemisphere on April 13, 2029, without the need for telescopes or binoculars. Nasa has debunked reports that Apophis will strike Earth in 2029 and stated that there is no impact risk for at least the next 100 years. Apophis was discovered on June 19, 2004, and has been tracked by optical and radar telescopes. Nasa redirected the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft to study Apophis during its 2029 Earth flyby. The asteroid is named after the demon serpent in ancient Egyptian mythology. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief has mentioned that India should observe the asteroid and prepare for planetary defense, as a 100-meter diameter object hitting Earth can wipe out an entire nation, and a 2 km diameter object hitting Earth could destroy the entire world [a95c6730].
After a 7200-foot asteroid passed Earth, NASA reports that a 100-foot asteroid is approaching. The asteroid, named Asteroid 2024 LH, is the size of a passenger plane and will come very close to Earth on June 2, 2024. Its closest approach will be as near as 1,040,000 miles. The asteroid belongs to the Apollo group of asteroids and is classified as a near-Earth object. It is traveling at a speed of 4.33 km per second (9690 mph) and is not expected to change its direction or be pulled in by Earth's gravity. However, some asteroids can have their direction disturbed by the gravitational pull of large planets or collisions with other objects [bfa2fd3b].
A 120-foot wide asteroid named 2024 ME1 will make a close approach to Earth on July 10, 2024. It is traveling at a speed of 30,215 kilometers per hour and will pass by Earth at a distance of 4.3 million kilometers. The asteroid is part of the Amor group, which has orbits that come close to Earth's orbit but do not intersect it. NASA and other space agencies monitor Amor asteroids to identify potential threats. Despite its high speed, 2024 ME1 poses no threat to Earth and will pass at a safe distance.
NASA's Goldstone planetary radar system recently recorded two near-Earth asteroids, 2024 MK and 2011 UL21, flying by our planet. The asteroids were observed by the Goldstone Solar System Radar, part of NASA's Deep Space Network. The recently discovered asteroid 2024 MK, which is 500 feet wide, made its closest approach to Earth on June 29, coming within about 184,000 miles of our planet. The radar observations provide valuable practice for NASA and information about the asteroids' sizes, orbits, rotation, surface details, composition, and formation. The Goldstone Solar System Radar, located in California, has been used to investigate objects of interest within the solar system for the past three decades. It has supported various exploratory missions and has been used to track and study near-Earth asteroids. The radar system also tracked the asteroid 2011 UL21, which passed by Earth at a distance of 4.1 million miles. The asteroid is about a mile wide and has its own moon that orbits a distance of about 1.9 miles from the asteroid. The radar observations of the asteroids' surfaces revealed concavities, ridges, and boulders. Both asteroids were classified as potentially hazardous, but calculations of their orbits indicate that they do not pose a threat to Earth in the near future. [64e2aa92]