150-foot asteroid racing towards Earth at breakneck speed; close approach today

NASA keeps an eye on asteroids, comets, and other Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) for potential close approaches that could threaten Earth. The space agency has issued a warning against an asteroid that will come extremely close to Earth today, June 11. As per the details, the asteroid, given the designation Asteroid 2023 MD2, will pass Earth at a distance of approximately 2.1 million kilometers. While this asteroid is not a planet killer, it is still huge, with an estimated width of 150 feet. That makes it almost as big as an aircraft!

Not only will the asteroid pass Earth closely, but it is also hurtling towards us at blistering speed. NASA has revealed that Asteroid 2023 MD2 is approaching Earth at a breakneck speed of 30362 kilometers per hour.

Other details

This space rock belongs to the Apollo group of Near-Earth Asteroids, which are Earth-crossing space rocks with semi-major axes larger than Earth’s. These asteroids are named after the humongous 1862 Apollo asteroid, discovered by German astronomer Karl Reinmuth in the 1930s.

Shockingly, this will be Asteroid 2023 MD2’s first-ever close approach to Earth in history. As per NASA’s Small-Body Database Lookup, it will not make any further close approach in the near future. However, that could change as asteroids can get affected by other planets’ gravity while they move in their orbits. It can send them tumbling towards a planet for potential impact.

These close calls with asteroids highlight the importance of continued technological development in asteroid detection and monitoring programs, which help to ensure the safety of our planet from the potential impact of these space rocks.

How are Asteroids named?

According to ESA, the process of assigning a provisional designation to an asteroid begins when a single observer detects it on two consecutive nights and then sends their findings to the Minor Planet Centre of the International Astronomical Union (IAU). The IAU assigns a provisional designation, which typically consists of a serial number like “2023 HV5”. The provisional designation includes the year of the asteroid’s discovery, followed by two letters that indicate the order of its discovery during that year.