Later this week, Earth will witness a rare celestial event as two large asteroids make a close flyby.
According to the European Space Agency (ESA), this event is perfectly timed to coincide with Asteroid Day, an annual event raising awareness about asteroids and their potential impact on our planet.
Two Asteroids to Make Close Flyby Near Earth
NASA says that the approaching asteroid will pass seven times the distance from Earth to the moon. However, it will not harm anything as it passes on Feb. 2.Frantisek Krejci from Pixabay
The first asteroid, designated 2024 MK, was discovered on June 16, just a week before its close approach, making this a remarkably recent find. Measuring between 120 and 260 meters in diameter, 2024 MK is considered large for a near-Earth object (NEO).
In 2018, two asteroids passed Earth at 72,000 and 76,000 miles, respectively, discovered hours after their flyby.
The 2024 MK will pass within 290,000 kilometers of Earth on June 29, approximately 75% of the distance to the moon. Despite its size, there is no risk of it impacting our planet.
ESA notes that due to its size and proximity, 2024 MK will be observable in clear, dark skies on June 29. Amateur astronomers in certain parts of the world can use a small telescope or good binoculars to view this rare event.
The second asteroid, (415029) 2011 UL21, is significantly larger, measuring 2310 meters across. This size makes it larger than 99% of all known NEOs.
Unlike the 2024 MK, the 2011 UL21 will not come as close to Earth. At its nearest point on June 27, it will still be more than 17 times the distance from Earth to the moon.
VALLEY OF FIRE STATE PARK, NV - DECEMBER 14: A Geminid meteor streaks diagonally across the sky against a field of star trails over one of the peaks of the Seven Sisters rock formation early December 14, 2007 in the Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada. Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Asteroid Day
Asteroid Day, endorsed by the United Nations, commemorates the largest observed asteroid impact in recorded history: the 1908 Tunguska event in Siberia, which flattened around 80 million trees with a 3-50 megaton explosion possibly nearly as strong as the Tsar Bomba.
This event narrowly missed Europe's most populous cities, accentuating the potential danger asteroids pose to populated areas. It is estimated that there are around 5 million NEOs larger than 20 meters, a threshold above which an impact could cause significant damage.
ESA's Planetary Defense Efforts
NASA on Unsplash
ESA's Planetary Defense Office is actively engaged in several projects to improve detection, tracking, and mitigation of hazardous asteroids.
Later this year, ESA will launch the Hera mission, part of the world's first test of asteroid deflection. Hera will conduct a detailed post-impact survey of the asteroid Dimorphos following NASA's DART mission in 2022, helping to develop a reliable planetary defense technique.
In addition, ESA is developing a network of Flyeye telescopes, designed to scan the entire sky each night for new potentially hazardous asteroids.
