NASA has stated that XN1, a fast-moving asteroid, will pass very close to Earth. With a size comparable to a commercial jet (120 feet or 37 meters), the asteroid will fly at 8.27AM IST on December 24 at an estimated speed of 23,729 km/h. According to NASA, the asteroid will approach our planet within 7,220,000 kilometers, posing no threat.
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) claims that because the 2024 XN1 does not fall under the category of potentially dangerous asteroids, its distance is not going to harm the planet. According to NASA’s criteria, asteroids that are larger than 150 meters in diameter and come within 4.6 million miles (7.4 million kilometers) of Earth are the only ones that could pose a threat to the blue planet. A smaller asteroid, however, the 2024 XN1 will pass outside the danger zone. It falls into the category of close but safe.
READ: NASA warns about 170-ft asteroid passing close to Earth this week
Asteroids of this size are rarely seen this close to Earth, so since the Earth is safe, skywatchers may have a great opportunity. Furthermore, it is predicted that on December 25, two smaller asteroids, 2020 XY and 2020 YM1, will also pass by Earth. These asteroids are not dangerous to Earth, according to NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS). The asteroids have the potential to affect the planet if they enter the danger zone. For instance, the dinosaurs went extinct 66 million years ago due to a huge asteroid.
NASA monitors thousands of near-Earth objects using advanced tracking systems, space-based observatories like the NEOWISE telescope, and ground-based telescopes like the Pan-STARRS1 in Hawaii and the Catalina Sky Survey in Arizona.
The XN1 will not be a threat for the planet and will be nothing more than a fascinating cosmic event.
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Ashish Singh
Ashish Singh is the Chief Copy Editor at Digit. Previously, he worked as a Senior Sub-Editor with Jagran English from 2022, and has been a journalist since 2020, with experience at Times Internet. Ashish specializes in Technology. In his free time, you can find him exploring new gadgets, gaming, and discovering new places. View Full Profile
