Airplane-sized asteroid to pass by Earth today, NASA says no risk of impact

An asteroid, comparable in size to an aeroplane at 110 feet (34 metres), is travelling at a staggering speed of 30,381 kmph towards the Earth. The asteroid, classified as “potentially hazardous” by US space agency NASA, is set to miss Earth by about 3.4 million kilometres.

Named 2024 OR1, the asteroid presents a unique chance for both observation and scientific study. According to NASA alert, 2024 OR1 will pass close to Earth on Tuesday (6th August) at 13.11 UTC (6.41 PM IST). There will be no impact on the Earth, the alert added.

Notably, asteroid 2024 OR1 is part of the Apollo asteroids, which have been making their closest approach to Earth recently. These asteroids are near-Earth objects (NEOs) and have orbits that cross the path of the Earth.

Although most NEOs do not carry the risk of impact, some of them are considered potentially hazardous asteroids (PHAs) and need closer monitoring. An object larger than about 150 metres that can approach the Earth within 7.5 million kilometres is termed a potentially hazardous object.

As per the NASA website, the orbits of NEOs can bring them to within 120 million miles (195 million kilometres) of the Sun, which means they can circulate through the Earth’s orbital neighbourhood. Most NEOs are asteroids that range in size from about 10 feet (a few metres) to nearly 25 miles (40 kilometres) across.

NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) tracks all known NEOs to assess collision risks.

Following 2024 OR1, another asteroid, 2024 KH3, will pass by the Earth on 10th August. This asteroid is 400 feet in size and its closest Earth approach has been pegged at 2.4 million kilometres.

What are asteroids?

An asteroid is a relatively small, inactive body orbiting the Sun. Asteroids are typically composed of rocky, dusty, and metallic materials. Most orbit within the main asteroid belt, between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, but some follow paths that circulate into the inner solar system (including near-Earth asteroids), while others remain outside the orbit of Neptune.