The Virtual Telescope Project has recently captured breathtaking images of asteroid 2024 ON as it approaches Earth. This asteroid is scheduled for a close encounter with our planet on September 17, 2024, passing at a safe distance of approximately one million kilometers—about 2.6 times the average distance between Earth and the Moon.
Discovered on July 27, 2024, by the Atlas Sky Survey, asteroid 2024 ON is classified as potentially hazardous due to its size and proximity. However, astronomers assure that this upcoming approach will pose no threat to Earth. The Virtual Telescope Project noted that such close approaches of asteroids are relatively rare, occurring about once every decade.
At the time of the recent imaging, 2024 ON was about 12.5 million kilometers from Earth and moving closer. The asteroid, estimated to be between 220 and 480 meters in diameter—approximately seven times the height of the Qutub Minar—is expected to make its closest approach on September 17, 2024. Despite its classification as potentially hazardous, there is no danger to our planet from this asteroid.
As the date of the encounter approaches, astronomers will continue to monitor asteroid 2024 ON. The scientific consensus remains clear: there is no imminent danger to Earth from this asteroid.
For those interested in watching the asteroid, the Virtual Telescope Project will provide a live stream of the event as it approaches Earth. According to NASA, asteroids, often referred to as minor planets, are rocky, airless remnants from the early solar system, which formed around 4.6 billion years ago.
Most asteroids reside 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 their vast numbers and varying sizes, the total mass of all asteroids combined is still less than that of Earth’s Moon.
