At a distance of about 6. 9 million kilometers, an asteroid, 2024 ON, whose size is estimated to be as big as two football fields, is expected to fly past the Earth on September 15. The asteroid which is approximately 720 feet wide will be flying approximately 620 000 miles away from Earth – 2. Six is the distance between the Earth and the Moon. However, this is not a big distance if viewed from an astronomical perspective, and therefore does not directly endanger our planet.
Such close encounters with asteroids, the Virtual Telescope Project said were witnessed almost every decade. Of course, they will be able to observe it with the help of the Virtual Telescope Project webcast, or, if the night skies are clear the participants will be able to watch it using the telescopes and binoculars.
The flyby presents researchers with an important opportunity to gather wonderful information about the material composition, velocity, rotation, and path of the asteroid. They are quite valuable for enhancing the forecasts of Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) and for understanding the solar system even further.
NASA keeps track of NEOs such as 2024 ON especially those that are above 492 ft in diameter and within 4. 1,900 known near Earth, out of which 6 million miles, nicknamed potentially hazardous asteroids or PHAs. NASA is also developing asteroid deflection technologies which are technologies as the DART mission to change the orbit of asteroid that may become a threat in the future to the planet.
Asteroid :
An asteroid is a minor planet—an object that is neither a true planet nor an identified comet— that orbits within the inner Solar System.