Asteroid 2024 BR4: An asteroid known as 2024 BR4 is predicted to make a remarkably close encounter with Earth this Valentine’s Day, today, February 14. With a diameter ranging from 140 to 310 meters, akin to the size of a skyscraper, this celestial body will approach within a distance of 4.6 million kilometers from our planet—just under twelve times the distance to the Moon.
Discovered only weeks ago by the Catalina Sky Survey on January 30, this swiftly-moving cosmic rock falls within the category of asteroids called Apollos, characterized by their orbits extending past Earth’s orbit, sometimes intersecting with ours. A recent image, captured with a Celestron robotic unit as part of the global Virtual Telescope Project, involved a 120-second long exposure, offering a glimpse of this interstellar voyager.
During the imaging process, 2024 BR4 was situated approximately 12 million kilometers away from Earth, steadily drawing closer. The remarkable intricacies of its trajectory were documented using the Celestron C14+Paramount ME+SBIG ST8-XME robotic unit, showcasing the effectiveness of international partnerships such as the Virtual Telescope Project.
As the asteroid nears its closest approach of 4.6 million kilometers, approximately 12 times the average distance to the Moon, experts have assured that there is no need for concern. NASA, with its diligent monitoring of over 33,000 near-Earth objects, has stated that the likelihood of any substantial impact on our planet remains minimal for the foreseeable future.
