Alert! NASA issues warning as massive asteroid approaches Earth with scary speed

• Image Credit: Google

• Aug 11, 2024 | Pinaki Goswami

The
83-foot-wide asteroid, approximately the size of a small building, will pass at
a distance...

Digital Desk:
NASA has issued an asteroid alert as space rock 2024 PK2 is set to
make its closest approach to Earth on August 11. The 83-foot-wide asteroid,
approximately the size of a small building, will pass at a distance of 795,000
miles. Despite this distance seeming
vast, it is relatively close in
astronomical terms, prompting heightened monitoring.

2024 PK2 is classified as a near-Earth object (NEO) and
belongs to the Aten group, known for crossing Earth’s orbit. Traveling
at an alarming speed of approximately 19,500 miles per hour (31,380 kilometers
per hour), the asteroid’s
proximity is significant enough for NASA's Centre for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) to closely observe it.

Although 2024 PK2 will be three times farther from Earth
than the Moon, its approach is a
reminder of the potential risks posed by NEOs. NASA continues to track such asteroids, especially
those larger than 460 feet (140 meters), to assess any impact threats and
ensure planetary safety.