Nasa on alert as 150-foot asteroid set to come close to Earth
Technology
The asteroid can damage property, cause extensive injuries
(Web Desk) - Nasa has issued warning after they spotted a 150-foot (46-metre) asteroid named 2024 NS1, hurtling towards Earth at a threatening speed of 27,274 km/h.
The asteroid, which is almost the size of an aeroplane, will make its closest approach to Earth on August 2 at 00:05 UTC (5:35 IST).
Asteroid 2024 NS1 has been classified as an Apollo asteroid, which is part of a group of near-Earth objects (NEOs) whose orbits cross the path of the Earth.
Even though many of the NEOs don't come very near to Earth, some of them do come at a scary distance and get tagged as potentially hazardous asteroids which need more attention.
Such asteroids are more than 460 feet (140 metres) in size and their orbits bring them within the distance of 7.5 million kilometres from Earth.
However, since asteroid 2024 NS1 is not a potentially hazardous asteroid, it will zoom at a safe distance of nearly 2 million kilometres from Earth.
It has not been identified as a potentially hazardous asteroid because of its size. However, Nasa has been continuously monitoring it to ensure it is not undergoing any changes in its trajectory.
If an asteroid similar to 2024 NS1 hits Earth, the impact would depend on the asteroid's size, speed, and impact location.
A 150-foot asteroid has the potential to cause damage to property and extensive injuries.
However, larger asteroids can cause catastrophic events, like climate changes and tsunamis.
