An asteroid approximately the size of two football fields is set to make a close approach to Earth this month. According to the New York Post, the 720-foot-wide asteroid named 2024 ON, will pass around 620,000 miles from our planet on September 15. While this distance might seem vast, it’s remarkably close in astronomical terms – equivalent to just 2.6 times the distance between our planet and the Moon. However, it poses no threat to Earth.
A similar close approach happens on average one time every 10 years, the Virtual Telescope Project said.
Visible from the northern hemisphere, the asteroid will offer a rare and spectacular sight for stargazers and astronomy enthusiasts. Skygazers can watch its approach starting on September 15 at 2:30 p.m. ET through the Virtual Telescope live feed. With clear skies, it may also be observed with the help of telescopes or even strong binoculars.
The flyby of asteroid 2024 ON presents a rare and invaluable chance for astronomers to collect crucial data on its composition, velocity, rotation period, and orbital path. This information is vital for refining predictive models of Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) and shedding light on the complex dynamics of our solar system.Â
According to NASA, asteroids are pieces of rock left over after the solar system formed 4.6 billion years ago. Not all asteroids are the same size and shape. Because asteroids are formed in different locations at different distances from the sun, no two asteroids are alike. Most asteroids are made of different kinds of rocks, but some have clays or metals, such as nickel and iron.
NASA continuously tracks near-Earth objects (NEOs) and maintains a database of their trajectories. Asteroids larger than 150 meters (492 feet) in diameter and closer than 4.6 million miles (7.4 million kilometres) are considered potentially hazardous asteroids (PHAs).Â
As part of its ongoing efforts to study and mitigate potential asteroid threats, NASA is developing asteroid deflection technologies. The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission is designed to test the feasibility of using a kinetic impactor spacecraft to alter the course of an asteroid in space.
