A bus-sized asteroid, designated Asteroid 2023 XH7 by NASA, is on track to pass relatively close to Earth, according to the Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS). Despite its proximity, the asteroid is not considered a significant threat due to its small size.
Asteroid 2023 XH7 is part of the Apollo group of Near-Earth Asteroids, a category that includes asteroids with close approaches to Earth. It is expected to approach within 940,148 kilometers of Earth, traveling at a speed of 71,276 kilometers per hour. While this might seem close, in terms of astronomical distances, it is relatively safe.
NASA reassures that this is not the first time Asteroid XH7 has come close to Earth. Its initial close approach occurred on July 5, 2020, when it passed at a distance of 9.7 million kilometers. The asteroid is expected to revisit Earth’s vicinity on July 22, 2033, at a distance of 63 million kilometers.
Crucially, the size of the asteroid plays a significant role in assessing potential threats. Asteroid 2023 XH7 has a diameter of only 34 feet, comparable to the size of a bus. In NASA’s classification system, asteroids larger than 492 feet that pass within 7.5 kilometers of Earth are deemed “Potentially Hazardous Objects.” Given its smaller size and relatively safe distance, Asteroid 2023 XH7 does not pose a substantial threat.
NASA relies on an extensive network of telescopes to track and monitor asteroids. This includes powerful instruments such as the NEOWISE telescope, Pans-STARRS1, Catalina Sky Survey, Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), and others. These telescopes play a crucial role in identifying and characterizing near-Earth asteroids, contributing to our understanding of potential impact risks.
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