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NASA has made a warning concerning a giant asteroid, Asteroid 535844 (2015 BY310), that is on a rapid speed toward Earth right now. Though the asteroid has been rated as a “potentially hazardous asteroid,” specialists are clear that it will not hurt our planet at present and will have a safe passage near Earth on March 5, 2025.
A Close Encounter
The 460-foot-wide asteroid is a member of the group of Near-Earth Objects (NEOs), which are objects that come within 30 million miles of Earth’s orbit. NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) has been monitoring its path closely. When at its nearest, anticipated to happen around 4:28 PM IST on March 5, the asteroid will fly by Earth at a distance of about 3.67 million kilometers, or about 9.5 times the average distance between the Earth and the Moon.
Asteroid 535844 (2015 BY310) is moving through space at a remarkable speed of 28,298 km/h (about 17,583 mph). If such a massive and speedy object were to crash into Earth, it would bring tremendous destruction. Nevertheless, NASA assures that this specific asteroid will not be attracted by Earth’s gravitational force and will keep moving through space without posing any threat to our planet.
Why NASA is Keeping an Eye on the Asteroid
Monitoring asteroids such as 535844 (2015 BY310) forms part of the vital NASA planetary defense strategy. Space rocks are critical in informing the history of how our solar system was formed over 4.5 billion years ago. Through their orbits, scientists also learn to advance impact prediction models as well as work on likely mitigation methods against future asteroid dangers.
NASA leverages cutting-edge space surveillance technology like Pan-STARRS, the Catalina Sky Survey, and planetary radar technology to track NEOs. In the next few years, the agency intends to develop the NEO Surveyor, the very first space telescope dedicated to finding potentially hazardous asteroids and comets before they pose any threat to our planet.
Though this specific asteroid will pass safely by Earth, the growing emphasis on asteroid detection and planetary defense underscores the value of being ready for future dangers. In 2022, NASA successfully conducted its DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) mission, demonstrating that it is feasible to change an asteroid’s path with a spacecraft collision. This breakthrough in planetary defense holds promise that future asteroid dangers may be prevented with similar technologies.
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