An asteroid named 2024 XN1, roughly the size of a 10-story building, is set to make a close approach to Earth on Christmas Eve. Traveling at an incredible speed of 14,743 miles per hour (23,726.5 kilometers per hour), the asteroid will safely pass at a distance of approximately 4,480,000 miles, nearly 18 times the average distance between Earth and the Moon, according to NASA.
Two smaller asteroids, 2020 XY and 2020 YM1, are also anticipated to pass by Earth on December 25. Thankfully, NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies(CNEOS) confirms that none of these asteroids pose any threat to our planet.
Near-Earth objects(NEOs) are space objects like asteroids and comets with orbits that bring them to within 120 million miles (195 million kilometers) of the Sun. While a majority of near-Earth objects have orbits that don’t bring them very close to Earth, few come dangerously close to Earth and are characterized as potentially hazardous asteroids(PHA). For an asteroid to be called PHA, it must be about 460 feet (140 meters) in size with orbits that bring it as close as within 4.6 million miles (7.5 million kilometers) of Earth’s orbit around the Sun.
NASA uses cutting-edge radar systems to keep a close watch on Near-Earth Objects (NEOs), prioritizing the detection of potential threats. Initiatives such as the Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDCO) focus on identifying and tracking objects over 140 meters in size to evaluate and reduce the risk of future collisions. Further missions like the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) are a crucial part of this system.
This year, space agencies identified and issued warnings about four asteroids entering Earth’s atmosphere. These asteroids were named 2022 WJ, 2023 CX1, 2024 BX1, and C0WEPC5. The most recent impact occurred on December 3, 2024, when a small asteroid approximately 70 cm in diameter entered Earth’s atmosphere, creating a dazzling fireball that illuminated the Yakutian sky. Detected just 12 hours before impact, scientists worldwide tracked its trajectory and predicted its entry time with remarkable accuracy, within ±10 seconds.
