Last Updated: October 19, 2023, 6:23 PM IST
The asteroid’s size will pass from a very close distance, even closer than the moon.
NASA has alerted us about a near-Earth asteroid that will cross the planet at a close proximity of around 3,79,994 km.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration or NASA in its latest alert has issued details about an asteroid that is approaching the Earth and is all set to pass the planet by an extremely close proximity of around 3,79,994 km, which is even closer than the moon. According to the space agency, the asteroid has been designated as Asteroid 2023 TK15 and will make its closest appearance on Friday, October 20, 2023. As per the available details, the asteroid belongs to the Apollo group of near-Earth asteroids which are Earth-crossing rocks and have some semi-major axis that are larger than the Earth.
These asteroids are named after the humongous 1862 Apollo asteroid which was discovered by German astronomer Karl Reinmuth around the 1930s. Notably, the US space agency has been keeping these asteroids on radar for a long time to save the planet from being hit by these rocks.
About Asteroid 2023 TK15
Scientists have discovered this asteroid by using various advanced technology instruments including the NEOWISE telescope, Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), and Catalina Sky Survey among others.
Speaking about the asteroid, it is already on its way and is travelling at a speed of almost 79,085 km per hour which is faster than a space shuttle. According to NASA, the asteroid will pass Earth at an extremely close distance of 379,994, which is even closer than the moon. For the unversed, the distance of the moon from the Earth is 384,400 km.
Despite making an extremely close approach, it has been deemed as a non-threatening one due to its small size. NASA is estimating it to be between 130 feet wide, thus making it as big as an aircraft. While this is not the first time that an asteroid will pass the Earth, it will be the first time it is considered a Near-Earth Object (NEO). NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) has also denied any chances of future approaches, calling it possibly the last closest appearance.
Notably, this comes just a few days after a few other asteroids made a close approach to Earth. Titled Asteroid 2023 TC1, Asteroid 2023 TB4, Asteroid 2021 NT14, Asteroid 2023 TU5, and Asteroid 2023 TD4 made the closest approach to Earth on October 13. Heading toward the planet at a blistering speed, the asteroids were said to be larger in size and came the closest at 1.7 million km.
