A 250-foot asteroid, approximately the size of the Statue of Liberty, is hurtling towards Earth at an alarming speed. Named Asteroid 2024 MT1, this massive space rock is expected to pass by our planet on July 8, 2024. NASA has issued an alert regarding this significant near-Earth object.
Asteroid 2024 MT1 is part of the Apollo group of asteroids, a category of near-Earth objects named after the 1862 Apollo asteroid discovered by German astronomer Karl Reinmuth. At its closest approach, the asteroid will be 1.5 million kilometers away from Earth, about four times the distance between Earth and the moon. It is traveling at a speed of 65,232 kilometers per hour.
The asteroid was first discovered by NASA’s Near-Earth Object Observations Programme’s Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) at the Sutherland Observing Station in South Africa. This system is responsible for tracking near-Earth comets and asteroids. NASA currently employs the NEO Surveyor system, which discovers and categorizes hazardous asteroids and comets, and NEOWISE, a space telescope that helps understand space objects with potential for destruction.
Despite the speed and size of the asteroid causing global concern among scientists, NASA assures that Earth is not currently at risk of collision. NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDCO) collaborates with international space agencies and research institutes to develop asteroid deflection and impact prevention systems. One such system is the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission, an asteroid deflection technology.
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, is closely monitoring the asteroid’s trajectory. According to JPL, close approaches of such large asteroids are rare, occurring every couple of decades. For scientists, this is a valuable opportunity to study these rare asteroids. The structure and composition of Asteroid 2024 MT1 can provide fascinating insights into the conditions and materials in the solar system.
In addition to the July 8th pass of Asteroid 2024 MT1, four more asteroids are scheduled to pass by Earth until July 16. All of these asteroids will be at a safe distance from our planet.
