200m asteroid hurtling towards Earth

NASA is closely monitoring a giant asteroid that is set to fly close to Earth in late May at a speed of 25,750 km/h.

Simulation of an asteroid flying past Earth. Photo: HT Times

The large asteroid is flying toward the planet, called 2023 CL3, and is estimated to be about 200 meters wide. NASA classifies the asteroid as a "Near Earth Approach" asteroid. This category includes space rocks that need further study.

2023 CL3 is more than twice the size of the Statue of Liberty (about 300 feet tall including the pedestal and 150 feet tall if you count the statue alone). An asteroid that large could cause serious damage if it hit Earth. That's why asteroids that come closer than 4.5 million miles and are larger than 470 feet are typically rated "potentially hazardous" by space agencies.

Asteroid 2023 is expected to fly by Earth on May 24 at a distance of just 7.2 million kilometers. That's not a huge distance in astronomical terms. Experts predict the large asteroid will fly by Earth safely at a speed of more than 25,750 kilometers per hour.

Asteroids are small meteorites that orbit the sun. NASA estimates that there are 1,113,527 asteroids in the solar system. They orbit the sun and are concentrated in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. However, because they are relatively small, asteroids are susceptible to gravity and have orbits that intersect with the orbits of planets, says Jay Tate, director of the Spaceguard Observatory in the UK. Most asteroids range in size from 10 meters to 529 kilometers.

Scientists are rapidly developing ways to protect Earth from dangerous asteroids. A team of NASA scientists recently published four studies confirming the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission successfully changed the trajectory of a small asteroid after a spacecraft directly collided with it. Ongoing follow-up missions will seek to increase the effectiveness of this planetary defense technique.

An Khang (According to Sun )

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