A gigantic asteroid almost as big as the Burj Khalifa tower will safely fly by Earth this week, according to NASA’s Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS).
The massive space rock, also called 162082 (1998 HL1), will be approximately 3,862,313 miles (estimated 0.04155 astronomical units) from Earth on Friday, October 25 at 1:21 p.m. EDT, Newsweek reported. As it zooms by our planet, it will be traveling at a speed of roughly 25,000 miles per hour.
Asteroid 1998 HL1 is not a small space object: It’s estimated to be between 1,443 and 3,248 feet in diameter. If it’s the largest estimate, the space rock would be taller than the Burj Khalifa tower in Dubai, the world’s tallest structure that’s roughly 2,700 feet high.
Potentially Hazardous #Asteroid #1998HL1 is safely coming as close at 6.2 millions of km. See it live, online, next 25 Oct., from home! @MinorPlanetCtr @NEOShieldTeam @b612foundation @AsteroidDay
➡️ https://t.co/xdrTQPLe6q pic.twitter.com/rS14j6ceOK
— Virtual Telescope (@VirtualTelescop) October 22, 2019
Even though 1998 HL1 is classified as “potentially hazardous,” its path will not interfere with Earth. The space rock is classified as a near-Earth object (NEO), which is defined as any asteroid or comet that has been nudged by the gravitational attraction of nearby planets into orbits that enable them to enter our planet’s neighborhood.
CNEOS and NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDCO) are continuously monitoring NEOs, including 1998 HL1. The PDCO collaborates with other government agencies to create and update a National NEO Preparedness Strategy and Action Plan for different types of NEOs.
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