The asteroid 2024 ON, which is nearly the size of two cricket grounds, safely passed the Earth on Sunday (September 15). The Virtual Telescope Project had some time ago captured breathtaking images of asteroid 2024 ON as it approached Earth. Going by the information released then, the asteroid passed at a safe distance of approximately one million kilometers—about 2.6 times the average distance between Earth and the Moon.
2024 ON Passes The Earth
The asteroid 2024 ON passed the Earth today ( September 15) without causing any harm. This development created a buzz among netizens and space enthusiasts alike. The asteroid approached the planet at a speed of 25,000 mph and is roughly the size of two standard cricket grounds. Its diameter is estimated to be between 220 and 480 meters.
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Discovered by the Atlas Sky Survey this July , asteroid 2024 ON was classified as potentially hazardous due to its size and the fact that it would come close to the Earth. However, astronomers assured everyone that the Earth wasn’t in danger. . The Virtual Telescope Project noted that such close shaves with asteroids are relatively rare, occurring about once in a decade.
What Are Asteroids?
As per NASA, asteroids/ minor planets, are rocky, airless remnants from the early solar system, which formed around 4.6 billion years ago Most asteroids are located in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, where they orbit the Sun. They vary significantly in size—from Vesta, the largest at about 530 kilometers in diameter, to much smaller objects measuring less than 10 meters across. Despite this, the combined mass of all asteroids is still less than that of Earth’s Moon.
