Double Asteroid Strike: Two Over 1800-Foot Asteroids Racing Towards Earth, NASA Alerts

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NASA's Close Watch on Earth's Cosmic Neighbour

Asteroids are not rare celestial visitors. However, some past incidents of the close hit of space rocks towards our home planet and even the Chicxulub event that killed the dinosaurs from the Earth have always been the key reasons to observe upcoming asteroids closely. Two of such potentially hazardous asteroids are set to make close approaches towards Earth today. NASA said that these two space rocks are as big as a giant bridge, more than 1800-foot in size. Are they potential threats to Earth? Know what NASA has revealed.

Asteroid 2013 NK4 And Asteroid 2015 DE198: Key Details

Asteroid 2013 NK4 is far from your typical space pebble. This near-Earth object boasts an unusual size of 1900-foot, making it larger than most other asteroids that come within our cosmic neighbourhood. In comparison, it is as big as a bridge in size! Its journey through space is equally remarkable, as it races towards Earth at a staggering velocity of 59,363 km/h, NASA's CNEOS data revealed.

Today on 15th April, Asteroid 2013 NK4 is expected to make its closest approach. NASA's JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory) has calculated that it will come within 2.02 million miles, which, in astronomical terms, is a stone's throw away. Although there's still some breathing room, the potential consequences of any deviation from its orbit are daunting, as even a small shift in its orbit could spell catastrophe for our home planet.

Similarly, another giant Asteroid 2015 DE198, which is 1800-foot in size is moving at a fiery speed of 51,051 km/h towards Earth today. It is also estimated to be around 4.37 million miles away from our home planet. But are they a potential threat?

Should You Be Worried?

While the prospect of a 1900-foot and 1800-foot asteroid zipping by Earth at breakneck speed might raise concerns, there's no need for immediate panic. NASA has been diligently tracking the asteroid's trajectory and has confirmed that it will maintain a safe distance as it passes by.

Still, due to its whopping size, these asteroids are marked as potentially hazardous. Hence, a close watch towards these monstrous space rocks on a daily basis is crucial to Earthlings.

How Does NASA Monitor Asteroids?

The huge share of asteroid-tracking information is primarily collected by observatories, with giants like Pan-STARRS, the Catalina Sky Survey, NASA's NEOWISE mission, and the upcoming NEO Surveyor taking the lead. Complementing these observatories are planetary radar initiatives, including JPL's Goldstone Solar System Radar Group, which plays a pivotal role in NASA's NEO Observations Program.