An asteroid is approaching our Earth. These celestial rocks put scientists on alert because if an asteroid were to collide with our planet, it has the potential to cause widespread devastation. Scientists believe that the extinction of dinosaurs millions of years ago was a result of an asteroid impact on Earth. Nevertheless, tomorrow, on February 2nd, a massive asteroid is expected to pass close to Earth. Let’s learn more about it.
Among the asteroids approaching Earth in the next few days, Asteroid 2008 OS7 is the largest. According to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (Nasa JPL), it will pass by our planet at a distance of 2.85 million kilometers on February 2nd. Asteroid 2008 OS7 has a size comparable to that of an indoor stadium, measuring 890 feet.
While there is no chance of it colliding with Earth, scientists will keep an eye on it until it travels far enough away from our planet. Additionally, on February 2nd, two other asteroids are also approaching Earth. One of them, Asteroid (2024 BJ3), is approximately 71 feet in size and will pass by our planet at a distance of 8.57 million kilometers.
According to NASA, asteroids are also referred to as minor planets. Similar to how all the planets in our solar system orbit the Sun, asteroids also revolve around the Sun. They are remnants left from the early formation of our solar system approximately 4.6 billion years ago. Scientists have identified over 1,130,527 asteroids to date.
Most asteroids are found in the asteroid belt, which lies between Mars and Jupiter. Their sizes can range from 10 meters to 530 kilometers. The total mass of all discovered asteroids is less than Earth’s moon.
