Current:Home > ScamsThis Valentine's Day, love is in the air and a skyscraper-sized asteroid is whizzing past Earth-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
This Valentine's Day, love is in the air and a skyscraper-sized asteroid is whizzing past Earth
View Date:2024-12-23 20:45:20
It's Valentine's Day, meaning love is in the atmosphere and a giant space rock is expected to pass by just outside of it. Well, maybe not that close, but still pretty close – 4.6 million kilometers or roughly 2.86 million miles – to be more precise.
The asteroid, named 2024 BR4 by NASA's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS), is loosely estimated to measure between 140 and 300 meters, or 459 and 984 feet in diameter, which is taller than most skyscrapers. Due to its size, it has been deemed "potentially hazardous" by NASA.
Here's what to know about the celestial event.
We're not the only ones with an eclipse:Mars rover captures moon whizzing by sun's outline
When will asteroid 2024 BR4 pass by Earth?
Asteroid 2024 BR4 will pass by Earth on Feb. 14, 2024, around 11:00 UTC.
What is asteroid 2024 BR4?
See a video:NASA tracked a stadium-size asteroid that passed by Earth but was not a threat
The asteroid was first observed during the automatic Catalina Sky Survey in January and was soon after determined to be about 12 million kilometers, or 7.5 million miles, from Earth. It has since approached Earth steadily but is not expected to pass any closer than 4.6 million kilometers, which is still relatively close: a little less than twelve times the distance between the Earth and the Moon.
2024 BR4 is believed to be part of a group of asteroids called Apollo, which has an orbit that sometimes overlaps with Earth's. Despite the group's closeness to our planet, scientists don't anticipate any significant impact threat for a few centuries.
Should we be worried about the asteroid?
While the object is traveling through space at about 9.86 kilometers per second, NASA has assured there is no threat of collision. With a tracking system that has recorded 33,000 near-Earth objects, the organization keeps close tabs on all observable space bodies that get a little too close.
This Valentine's Day is the closest this specific space object will get to Earth for the next 120 years, meaning we can rest assured that this asteroid, at least, isn't out to get us anytime soon.
veryGood! (852)
Related
- A list of mass killings in the United States this year
- Four Downs and a Bracket: This Heisman version of Jalen Milroe at Alabama could have happened last season
- Lauren Conrad Shares Rare Update on Husband William Tell and Their 2 Sons
- Adrien Brody reveals 'personal connection' to 3½-hour epic 'The Brutalist'
- Question of a lifetime: Families prepare to confront 9/11 masterminds
- A tiny tribe is getting pushback for betting big on a $600M casino in California’s wine country
- Opinion: Treating athletes' mental health just like physical health can save lives
- Over 90,000 Georgia residents sheltering a day after chemical plant fire sends chlorine into the air
- Military veteran gets time served for making ricin out of ‘curiosity’
- Anna Delvey Reveals Why She’ll Take “Nothing” Away From Her Experience on Dancing With the Stars
Ranking
- Trump breaks GOP losing streak in nation’s largest majority-Arab city with a pivotal final week
- Ohio family says they plan to sue nursing home after matriarch's death ruled a homicide
- Fierce North Carolina congressional race could hinge on other names on the ballot
- Heisman watch: Who are the frontrunners for the Heisman Trophy after Week 5?
- US wholesale inflation picks up slightly in sign that some price pressures remain elevated
- Kris Kristofferson, singer-songwriter and actor, dies at 88
- University imposes a one-year suspension on law professor over comments on race
- At least 64 dead after Helene’s deadly march across the Southeast
Recommendation
-
King Charles III celebrates 76th birthday amid cancer battle, opens food hubs
-
No time for shoes as Asheville family flees by boat, fearing they lost everything
-
Handing out MLB's 2024 awards: Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge earn MVPs for all-time seasons
-
Opinion: Florida celebrating Ole Miss loss to Kentucky? It brings Lane Kiffin closer to replacing Billy Napier
-
Vikings' Camryn Bynum celebrates game-winning interception with Raygun dance
-
California wildfire flareup prompts evacuation in San Bernardino County
-
7UP clears up rumors about mocktail-inspired flavor, confirms Shirley Temple soda is real
-
Hurricanes on repeat: Natural disasters 'don't feel natural anymore'