46-foot asteroid racing towards Earth today at 38844 kmph, says NASA

Did you know that asteroids are also sometimes called minor planets? Or, for that matter, that there are currently 1277973 known asteroids? Well, now you know. These asteroids vary in sizes and some of them are also potentially hazardous. For the uninitiated, Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs) are currently defined based on parameters that measure the asteroid’s potential to make threatening close approaches to the Earth. Specifically, all asteroids with a minimum orbit intersection distance (MOID) of 0.05 au or less and an absolute magnitude (H) of 22.0 or less are considered PHAs, according to NASA. What if any of these potentially hazardous asteroids strikes Earth?

NASA constantly keeps an eye on the movement and trajectory of the asteroids to ensure that they do not come dangerously close to planet Earth. However, asteroids do come close to the planet and according to the latest information provided by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), two asteroids are racing towards Earth today, April 1. One is a 46 foot asteroid – similar to the size of a house.

46-foot Asteroid 2023 FF7

The 46-foot asteroid named FF7 will make its closest approach to planet Earth today at a distance of just 3.3 mn kilometers. The rock is travelling at a rapid speed of 38844 kilometers per hour. However, this house size rock is not a threat to planet Earth as it will simply pass by it, if it keeps on travelling in the trajectory it is currently in.

Along with the 46-foot asteroid, another 22-foot asteroid named 2023 FZ10 is also approaching Earth today. It is zooming towards the planet at a speed of 9936 kilometers per hour and will be nearing Earth at a distance of just 1 mn kilometers, according to NASA’s JPL.

Wondering how NASA keeps a track on asteroids? The US space agency has deployed several Earth and Sky-based technologies like telescopes, satellites, and more for the same.