NASA has issued a warning about a massive asteroid, roughly the size of a stadium, set to make a close approach to Earth tomorrow.
The asteroid, designated 2024 ON, spans 290 meters (950 feet) across and is expected to come within 1 million kilometers of Earth, according to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
Having previously passed by Earth in 2013, 2024 ON is scheduled for another close approach in 2035. It was first detected by NASA’s Near-Earth Object (NEO) Observations Program, which monitors potential threats using global observatories.
Currently being tracked by the Virtual Telescope Project, 2024 ON was observed on September 9 traveling at an impressive speed of about 40,000 kilometers per hour. Despite its close approach, the asteroid will come no closer than 2.6 times the average distance between Earth and the Moon, posing no immediate danger. However, even minor trajectory changes could potentially have significant impacts.
This colossal asteroid is 99 percent larger than other near-Earth objects, but it won’t be visible to the naked eye without a telescope. On the same day as the asteroid’s close approach, a rare partial lunar eclipse will occur, coinciding with a supermoon full Moon. This celestial event will be observable across Europe and Africa, with visibility extending to parts of North and South America and Asia.
Later in the month, a smaller asteroid, 2024 PT5, will temporarily become a “mini moon,” orbiting Earth from September 29 to November 25. Measuring just 10 meters across, 2024 PT5 was once part of the Moon, according to a recent study in the journal Research Notes of the AAS.
