NASA’s Asteroid Watch dashboard has announced that five asteroids will be passing by Earth in the upcoming week, from Sept. 6 to Sept. 12. These celestial objects, although impressive in size, are not expected to pose any threat to our planet.
The first asteroid on the list is JA5, which will come closest to Earth on Sept. 6. This asteroid, as large as a house, will be approximately 3.17 million miles away. It will mark the beginning of this asteroid watching week.
On Sept. 8, two asteroids named QC5 and GE will make their way past Earth. QC5, roughly the size of an airplane, measures 79 feet in diameter. It will approach within 2.53 million miles of our planet. GE, about the size of a bus, is smaller in comparison, measuring around 26 feet. It will pass by at a distance of approximately 3,560,000 miles.
QF6, another airplane-sized asteroid, will be the next to pass by Earth on Sept. 10. Discovered in 2023, this asteroid has a size of 68 feet. It will come closest to our planet, traveling about 1.65 million miles away.
The final asteroid to appear on the radar is RT2, scheduled to fly by on Sept. 12. Similar to GE, this asteroid is also the size of a bus, measuring approximately 25 feet. It was first discovered in 2020 and will be approximately 2,620,000 miles from Earth.
While these asteroids may seem close in cosmic terms, none of them pose any risk to Earth. NASA has classified them as “potentially hazardous” only if they come within 4.6 million miles and are above approximately 490 feet in size.
To keep track of these asteroids and comets, NASA’s Asteroid Watch dashboard monitors their paths. Additionally, the “Eyes on Asteroids” webpage offers real-time visualization, allowing users to observe asteroids and comets across the galaxy. These visualizations are based on data from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Center for Near Earth Object Studies.
In summary, five asteroids will be making their way past Earth between Sept. 6 and Sept. 12. While this may sound alarming, there is no need to worry as they do not pose any danger to our planet. With NASA’s advanced tracking systems, we can safely appreciate these cosmic visitors as they journey through our galaxy.
