![]() ![]() More than 150 asteroids are known to have a small companion moon and some even have two moons. ![]() Here’s what you need to know about near-Earth objects this #AsteroidDay: /mCjW3FSoz5 - NASA June 30, 2020 But how close is close? How do we keep track of them? What can we do to mitigate our risk? When an asteroid or comet comes close to Earth we call it a near-Earth object. They also rotate, sometimes quite erratically, tumbling as they go. Only a few are nearly spherical, often pitted or cratered.Īsteroids revolve around the Sun in elliptical orbits. Talking about physical characteristics, most of the asteroids are irregularly shaped. The total mass of all the asteroids combined is less than that of Earth's Moon. Most of these small rocks can be found in the "asteroid belt", orbiting the Sun between Mars and Jupiter.Īccording to Nasa, asteroids range in size from Vesta - one of the largest objects in the asteroid belt at about 329 miles (530 kilometres) in diameter - to bodies that are less than 33 feet (10 meters) across. They are also sometimes called minor planets. According to scientists, very small fragments of asteroids and comets called meteoroids hit Earth's atmosphere and explode virtually every day, resulting in "bright meteor events" that are visible at night.īut what are these space rocks? Do they pose any threat to Earth? Can their impact be averted? What's the next time they hit our planet? Here's a guide:Īsteroids are rocky remnants left over from the early formation of our solar system about 4.6 billion years ago. ![]() Nasa's CNEOS has since been tracking the space rock (or near-Earth object (NEO)) which will zoom past Earth's orbit this week on Sunday, September 6.Īsteroid 465824 (2010 FR) is not the first asteroid to cross paths with Earth. This asteroid was discovered by the Catalina Sky Survey (CSS) on March 18, 2010. According to reports, the celestial object will move towards our planet at a speed of 31,400mph. Asteroid 465824 (2010 FR) is classified as an Apollo asteroid because it will cross the Earth's orbit. ![]()
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