1.7-Kilometer 'Potentially Hazardous' Asteroid Will Make Close Earth Approach Next Month

NASA's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) is keeping a close eye on a massive asteroid that is currently making its way toward Earth. The space rock is about twice the size of Burj Khalifa, the tallest manmade structure in the world.

Asteroid 231937 (2001 FO32), or simply 2001 FO32, is set to make its close approach to Earth on March 21. It is currently traveling at an average velocity of 77,000 miles per hour (124,000 kilometers per hour), according to CNEOS' database.

At 11:03 a.m. EST (1603 GMT), the "potentially hazardous" asteroid will whiz past the planet at a distance of about 1.25 million miles (2 million kilometers) from its surface.

The asteroid is estimated to measure up to 1.1 miles (1.7 kilometers) in diameter. This would equate to two Burj Khalifas stacked on top of each other. As per calculations from The Measure of Things, 2001 FO32 is also about four times as tall as Malaysia's Petronas Twin Towers, which stands at 1,483 feet (452 meters).

The space rock is considered "potentially hazardous" due to its size and proximity to Earth during its upcoming flyby. According to CNEOS, asteroids are classified as potentially hazardous if they have a diameter larger than 500 feet (140 meters) and would come within 4.65 million miles (7.5 million kilometers) of Earth.

An asteroid of 2001 FO32's size would cause catastrophic damage if it collides with Earth. "We believe anything larger than 1 to 2 kilometers (1 kilometer is a little more than one-half mile) could have worldwide effects," NASA stated.

Fortunately, the asteroid is not expected to hit Earth during its upcoming close approach. The huge asteroid has not been included in the European Space Agency's Risk List and its Priority List, which means it does not pose any danger to the planet.

Considered an Apollo asteroid, 2001 FO32 follows an orbit that crosses that of Earth's. An asteroid in this category is more likely to make close approaches to the planet than those belonging to other types since it intersects with the Earth's orbit at certain points.

CNEOS is responsible for observing near-Earth objects (NEOs) and predicting their orbits. The software used by the laboratory allows it to predict if and when a certain object will make its close approach to the planet, and it makes its calculations available to the public by sharing them on its website.