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Did you know that a 1000-pound space rock crashed on Earth this year? No, this isn’t some plot of a science fiction film but reality. NASA revealed that a meteorite turned into an atmospheric fireball and crashed near McAllen, Texas, on February 15. It was a 1000-pound rock that was 2 feet in diameter as it broke into pieces about 21 miles above Earth’s surface. According to NASA, the meteor’s speed was about 27,000 miles per hour and it had an energy of about 8 tons of TNT. According to several reports, law enforcement agencies in the McAllen region received several calls from residents who reported hearing a loud explosion.
While not expected to hit Earth, NASA has warned that another space rock will pass Earth at very close proximity today, June 26. Know details
When will the asteroid pass Earth?
According to the data published by CNEOS, an asteroid designated as Asteroid 2023 ME1 is approaching Earth at a ferocious speed and is expected to make its closest approach to the planet today, June 26. It will come as close as 4.8 million kilometers, and while this distance might seem a lot, it is relatively a small number in astronomical distances, considering how big the asteroid is.
How fast is it going?
Shockingly, the asteroid is hurtling towards Earth at fearsome speed. According to the details released by NASA, this space rock is currently travelling towards Earth at 43685 kilometers per hour, which is multiple times faster than a hypersonic ballistic missile!
How big is it?
NASA estimates it to be around 88 feet wide, and while it isn’t big enough to be called a planet-killer, it can be compared to an aircraft in terms of size! It 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.
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