Asteroid 2024 ON, with a diameter of approximately 720 feet (twice the size of a cricket ground), will safely pass Earth today at a distance of 997,793 kilometers—over 2.5 times the average distance between Earth and the Moon. Although this is a safe distance, NASA notes that its speed of 40,233 km/h is a bit concerning. The asteroid will make its closest approach to Earth on September 17.
Discovered by the ATLAS Sky Survey on July 27, the 2024 ON asteroid will be live-streamed for those interested in observing it. The live feed will be available on virtualtelescope.eu/webtv starting at 19:30 UTC on September 15 (1:00 AM September 16 local time).
NASA’s Near-Earth Object Observations Program is monitoring this event closely through the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California. They are using optical telescopes to analyze the asteroid’s composition, shape, and size.
Additionally, NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDCO) is ready to track and potentially deflect the asteroid if necessary. The JPL Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) reports that similar close encounters occur roughly every 10 years.
Asteroids passing near Earth is a common event. Today, in addition to 2024 ON, several other asteroids will also make close approaches, including 2024 RQ5, which is about the size of a bus, and 2024 RM10, about the size of a plane. None of these will pose any threat.
