Asteroid 2024 ON, sized roughly 720 feet in diameter, will safely pass Earth today at a distance of 997,793 kilometers—more than 2.5 times the distance between the Earth and the Moon. Despite its safe proximity, according to Nasa, its speed––40,233 km/h––is a bit concerning. The asteroid will reach its closest point to Earth on September 17.
The 2024 ON asteroid was recently discovered by the ATLAS Sky Survey on July 27. For those who are interested in getting a glimpse of 2024 ON asteroid, it will also be live-streamed on virtualtelescope.eu/webtv on September 15, starting at 19:30 UTC (1:00 AM September 16).
This space phenomenon is taking place today, and Nasa’s Near-Earth Object Observations Program is keeping a close eye on this event via the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) located in Pasadena, California, using optical telescopes to understand and study the space rock’s composition, shape, and size.
Nasa also says that its Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDCO) is also prepared to track and deflect the space rock, if needed. According to a report by the JPL Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS), similar close encounters will happen once every 10 years.
It’s quite common for asteroids to pass the Earth. In fact, there are several more asteroids, such as 2024 RQ5, which is the size of a bus, 2024 RM10, the size of a plane, and a few more asteroids that will also be passing the Earth today without causing any issues.
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