Big Asteroid Passing Earth, but No Need to Worry!
Today, an asteroid called 2024 XS3, which is about 84 feet long, is flying by Earth. NASA says there’s no danger of it hitting us! This asteroid will pass at a safe distance of 2,080,000 miles, which is more than 16 times the distance to the Moon. It’s moving really fast, at 23,423 miles per hour. The closest it will get to us is at 1:54 AM IST on December 18.
Asteroids like 2024 XS3 are leftovers from when our solar system was formed around 4.6 billion years ago. Scientists study these rocks to learn about Earth’s history. It’s important to track their paths because one big asteroid hitting Earth millions of years ago wiped out the dinosaurs!
How does NASA keep an eye on asteroids?
NASA uses special systems to track near-Earth objects (NEOs) like 2024 XS3. They have radar technology and tools from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Plus, NASA’s missions, like OSIRIS-REx, gather samples from asteroids to help scientists learn about our solar system’s beginnings.
The flyby of 2024 XS3 shows how important it is to watch for these objects. Even though it’s not a threat now, keeping track of them helps scientists be ready for any future dangers and helps us learn more about outer space.
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