Asteroid rushing towards Earth today, says NASA; may come horrifically close at only 5193km

Asteroids are ancient rubble left over from the early formation of our solar system about 4.6 billion years ago. Most of these space rocks can be found within the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Interaction with a planet’s gravitational field, especially Jupiter, can knock the asteroid off-its orbit and send it hurtling in all directions. NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office keeps a check on these Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) for any potential collision with Earth and declares them as Potentially Hazardous Objects if they come within around 8 million kilometers of Earth.

Asteroid 2021 AE key details

NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office has red-flagged an asteroid named Asteroid 2021 AE due to its extremely close approach to the planet. The asteroid will make its closest approach to Earth today, December 28, at a distance of 6.3 million kilometers. What’s shocking is NASA has predicted that the asteroid could also pass the planet at a minimum distance of just 5193 kilometers! The space rock is already on its way towards the planet travelling at a speed of nearly 53830 kilometers per hour.

According to the-sky.org, the Asteroid 2021 AE belongs to the Apollo group of asteroids. It was discovered on January 2, 2021. This asteroid takes 728 days to complete one trip around the Sun during which its maximum distance from the Sun is 369 million kilometers and nearest distance is 105 million kilometers.

Has an asteroid ever struck Earth before?

Although asteroids are safely passing near Earth these past few weeks, it doesn’t mean a collision with Earth isn’t on the cards. In fact, an asteroid was the reason behind the extinction of one of the largest species on the planet nearly 65 million years ago – dinosaurs.

According to the Alvarez hypothesis, the extinction was caused by a massive asteroid which crashed on Earth more than 65 million years ago. The asteroid terraformed the planet and is likely the reason that started the extinction of dinosaurs. Scientists have even found the impact crater of the asteroid in Chicxulub, near the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico.