NASA Captures Passage of "Planet-Killer" Asteroids Near Earth
Close Encounter
NASA captured images of a pair of "planet-killer" asteroids as they passed close to Earth last week. Scientists at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California tracked the two space rocks using the 230-foot-wide Goldstone Solar System Radar, which also measured the dimensions of these objects.
Asteroids Details
According to the Daily Mail, the asteroid 2024 MK, first observed only 13 days before its closest approach to Earth, was identified as being 500 feet long. Meanwhile, asteroid 2011 UL21, nearly a mile wide, passed by Earth at a speed of 58,000 mph, with a small moon orbiting about two miles from its surface.
Potential Threat
Officials from the European Space Agency, which collaborates with NASA on planetary defense, stated, "An asteroid of this size would cause significant damage." They emphasized the ongoing need to improve our ability to detect and monitor potentially hazardous near-Earth objects (NEOs).
Tracking and Impact
Asteroid 2024 MK was first recorded on June 16 by the NASA-funded Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) in South Africa. Due to its incredibly close approach, 2024 MK’s orbit has now been altered by Earth's gravity.
Future Risk
While NASA classified 2024 MK as a "potentially hazardous asteroid," the JPL team stated, "Calculations of its future trajectory show it poses no threat to our planet in the foreseeable future."
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