Asteroid over 22 meters wide to make a pass by Earth closer than the Moon, NASA says

On 1 September, an asteroid between 22-50 metres wide is expected to make a pass of Earth at a closer distance than the Moon, on September 1, according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The ‘potentially hazardous asteroid’ called ‘2011 ES4’ will be at a distance of 1.2 lakh kms from Earth at its closest. This will be the closest approach of a (large) asteroid like it in the ten years to come, NASA said. The agency tweeted confirming that the asteroid will not be harmful to Earth. “Will asteroid 2011 ES4 hit Earth? No! 2011 ES4’s close approach is ‘close’ on an astronomical scale but poses no danger of actually hitting Earth. Planetary defence experts expect it to safely pass by at least 45,000 miles away on Tuesday, September 1,” NASA said on Twitter. [caption id=“attachment_8096941” align=“alignnone” width=“1280”] A asteroid has got caught in the Earth’s orbit making it a natural satellite of our planet, similar to our moon.[/caption]

Will #asteroid 2011 ES4 hit Earth? 🌎 No! 2011 ES4’s close approach is “close” on an astronomical scale but poses no danger of actually hitting Earth. #PlanetaryDefense experts expect it to safely pass by at least 45,000 miles (792,000 football fields) away on Tuesday Sept. 1.

— NASA Space Alerts (@NASASpaceAlerts) August 28, 2020

The asteroid will be zipping by us at an incredible speed of over 8 kilometres per second during its flyby. The last time the asteroid, called ‘2011 ES4’, made a fly by the Earth, it was visible from the ground for four days, This time, it will be closer to our planet than before with an estimated distance of 1.2 lakh kilometres, closer than that of the Moon, which is 3.84 lakh kilometres away from the Earth. The asteroid was first discovered in the spring of 2011, reportedly makes a pass of Earth every nine years. The last time asteroid 2011 ES4 flew by Earth, it was visible from ground for four days, according to the Weather Channel. This time, it will be closer to our planet than before, and the chances of spotting it, especially with a telescope will be high.