Several large asteroids are expected to approach Earth in the coming weeks, including one nearly the size of the Empire State Building.
According to data from NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS), two asteroids are predicted to fly close to Earth on October 23, with many more approaching in the following days.
On October 15, asteroid 2021 SM3, with a diameter of up to 160 meters, larger than the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt, is expected to pass about 5.7 million kilometers from Earth. This distance is much closer than Venus, which is 120 million kilometers away from Earth.
Experts believe the likelihood of a massive asteroid striking Earth is extremely rare. (Photo: Asianetnews).
According to NASA’s definition, near-Earth objects are comets and asteroids that have been pulled into Earth’s vicinity by the gravitational influence of nearby planets.
However, experts note that despite these asteroids moving relatively close to Earth, they are still at a very far distance.
Paul Chodas, director of CNEOS at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, told ABC News that astronomically, they are approaching Earth, but in reality, they are millions of kilometers away.
One of the closest approaching asteroids, named 2021 TJ15, will come within a distance equivalent to that between the Moon and Earth, approximately 384,400 kilometers, on October 23. Chodas stated that this asteroid, with a diameter of 5.6 to 13 meters, is very far from Earth and cannot collide with it.
Meanwhile, asteroid 2004 UE, which stands up to 380 meters tall, nearly the size of the Empire State Building, will be about 4.1 million kilometers from Earth on November 13.
Chodas mentioned that many asteroids passing by Earth are very small and burn up upon entering the atmosphere. He believes that unlike apocalyptic scenarios depicted in movies, the chance of a massive asteroid colliding with Earth is extremely rare. In fact, very few medium and large-sized asteroids come close to Earth.
NASA reported that as of this year, the largest asteroid to approach Earth was asteroid 2001 FO32, dubbed Apophis, which passed in March.
