The first month of 2024 witnessed numerous asteroid approaches and February continues the trend. NASA’s telescopes spot and track a new Near-Earth Asteroid (NEA) following which astronomers measure the asteroid’s observed positions in the sky. The observations and measurements are reported to the Minor Planet Center. The Center for Near-Earth Objects Studies (CNEOS) then utilises the given data to determine the asteroid’s most probable orbit around the Sun, according to NASA.
The usage of advanced tech at NASA sheds light on as many as three asteroids that are predicted to pass Earth today, February 19.
Asteroid 2024 CV8
The initial asteroid due to approach Earth today is dubbed Asteroid 2024 CV8 by NASA CNEOS. Expected to pass within 451,000 kilometers, it travels at an astonishing speed of 61,607 kmph, akin to a space shuttle.
Sized at approximately 64 feet wide, nearly as large as a house, Asteroid 2024 CV8 is part of the Apollo group. These Near-Earth Asteroids, with semi-major axes surpassing Earth’s, pay homage to the colossal 1862 Apollo asteroid discovered by Karl Reinmuth.
Asteroid 2024 CJ6
The following asteroid, labeled as Asteroid 2024 CJ6, hurtles through space at 55,435 kilometers per hour on its trajectory towards Earth. NASA predicts its passage to occur today, skimming approximately 1.7 million kilometers from our planet.
Asteroid 2024 DC
The final asteroid slated to approach Earth today is named Asteroid 2024 DC. It will come within a proximity of 4.7 million kilometers to the planet. Currently orbiting the Sun at a speed of 33,306 kilometers per hour, this asteroid is the largest among them, measuring nearly 52 feet wide. It shares its classification with the Apollo group of asteroids.