If an asteroid passing by Earth as a “city killer” seems worrying enough, NASA’s latest warning could be quite alarming.
Today, four “potentially dangerous” space rocks will hurtle past Earth within less than 12 hours of each other.
This includes two airplane-sized space rocks that were only spotted earlier this month.
The largest of them all, asteroid 2002 NV16, measures 177 meters across and packs enough destructive power to level a city or cause a global catastrophe.
Although it won’t be visible to the naked eye, scientists will be watching closely as this massive rock passes overhead this afternoon at 4:51 PM BST.
Fortunately, experts say we have absolutely no reason to worry about this quartet of space rocks.
Finn Burridge, astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, told MailOnline: ‘Scientists can calculate the orbits of near-Earth objects with high precision when they become bright enough to see and so we can be sure that none of the objects passing Earth today , could collide with each other. with the planet.’
Today, four ‘potentially dangerous’ asteroids will pass by Earth within a twelve-hour period. The largest is the ‘city killer’ asteroid 2002 NV16, which is bigger than the Blackpool Tower
Mr Burridge said: ‘Today is unusual in that we have seven asteroids all coming close to each other in a short period of time, but there is almost always an asteroid wandering somewhere near Earth.’
However, only four of these asteroids are considered “potentially hazardous” by NASA.
The first of those asteroids to reach Earth is 2015 HM1, which zoomed past this morning at 5:36 am BST.
At that time, the rock reached a minimum distance of 3.4 million miles (5.5 million km) from Earth.
This is also the smallest of the set, measuring just 30 meters in diameter, about the length of two trucks.
That was shortly followed by the asteroid 2024 TP17, which made its closest approach to Earth at 09:20 BST.
At 52 meters across, 2024 TP17 is the second largest of the asteroids passing Earth today.
While that may not sound like a big deal, it would be among the most dangerous asteroids to ever hit Earth.
Of the four asteroids that will pass by Earth today, none will pose a threat to the planet. Even the closest one will only reach a distance of 4.5 million km from Earth (stock image)
In 1908, during the ‘Tunguska Event’, an asteroid 9 meters smaller than 2024 TP17 exploded with the force of an atomic bomb over Russia, flattening more than 1,300 square kilometers of trees.
Fortunately, there is no risk of a similar disaster today, as the asteroid passed safely at a distance of 4.7 million km.
The last two asteroids to arrive, 2002 NV16 and 2024 TR6, will reach our planet within just four minutes of each other.
The first of the pair, the NV16 from 2002, is also the largest, measuring 177 meters wide, making it taller than the Statue of Liberty or the Blackpool Tower.
While this isn’t large enough to wipe out life on Earth, it does rank as an ‘urban killer’ – meaning it has the potential to devastate a large populated area.
Mr Burridge said: ‘There is a large asteroid almost 200 meters away and a direct hit on a city by such a large asteroid would be very bad news.
‘To be dangerous, however, it would have to hit Earth near a major population center. If it fell into the Pacific Ocean or the Sarah Desert, we might be fine.”
Although this asteroid will be the closest of the four to pass today, it will still pass safely 2.8 million miles (4.7 million km) from Earth at 4:47 PM BST.
The largest asteroid to pass today, 2002 NV16, will come within 4.7 million km at 4:47 PM BST. This may not seem close, but NASA considers this “potentially dangerous” because it is less than 30 million miles (48 million km) from Earth.
Just four minutes later, at 4:51 PM BST, the 46-meter-wide asteroid 2024 TR6 will pass Earth at a distance of 5.6 million kilometers.
While none of these asteroids are close enough to pose a serious threat to Earth, they are all considered “potentially hazardous” because they are less than 30 million miles (48 million kilometers) from Earth.
NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and a network of amateur astronomers keep a close eye on space for objects that could pose a threat to Earth.
Anything that looks like it could be dangerous is flagged for closer monitoring so scientists can make better predictions about its trajectory.
What makes this series of asteroids somewhat more concerning is that two, 2024 TR6 and 2024 TP17, were only spotted in October.
This isn’t entirely unusual, as most asteroids are typically spotted as they reach their closest point to Earth, but it does make them riskier.
ESA has begun testing systems to keep dangerous asteroids out of Earth’s path, such as the DART mission where a satellite crashed into the side of a space rock.
However, these rely on months or even years of prior warning to gently nudge an object into a safe orbit.
In September, scientists were blindsided by a previously undetected meteor that burned up over the Philippines (pictured). Scientists say it is not unusual for asteroids to be detected as they reach their closest point to Earth
Just last month, scientists were caught off guard when a previously undiscovered 3-ton (1-meter) asteroid burned up in the sky over the Philippines.
However, astronomers discover about 2,000 near-Earth asteroids each year, and it is only the smallest asteroids that typically avoid detection.
Some of the four approaching today will fly even closer in the next decade.
Fortunately, they are unlikely to become dangerous.
In August 2039, 2024 TR6 passes at just 1.2 million miles (1.9 million km), followed by a passage through 2024 TP17 at 1.3 million miles (2.1 million km) in October 2040.