NASA Asteroid 2019: 3 NEOs May Explode In Earth's Sky On Tuesday

NASA is currently tracking three asteroids that are headed for Earth. These three asteroids will most likely burn up in Earth’s atmosphere and explode mid-air if they end up on a collision course with the planet.

According to NASA’s Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS), the first asteroid that’s set to approach Earth on Tuesday is called 2019 SE8. This asteroid is currently moving at a speed of about 51,000 miles per hour and has an estimated diameter of 82 feet.

Closely following 2019 SE8 is an asteroid known as 2018 FK5. According to CNEOS, this asteroid measures about 43 feet wide and is flying towards Earth with a velocity of 23,000 miles per hour.

The third asteroid that will zip past Earth tomorrow is called 2019 SD8. It is currently moving at a speed of 24,000 miles per hour. CNEOS noted that the asteroid has an estimated diameter of about 66 feet.

All three asteroids have been classified by CNEOS as Apollos. Like other Apollo asteroids, 2019 SE8, 2018 FK5 and 2019 SD8 have very wide orbits around the Earth and the Sun. Occasionally, their orbits interact with that of Earth as the planet completes its cycle around the giant star.

If these asteroids end up colliding with Earth as their orbits intersect, they will most likely not reach the ground. Instead, these three asteroids will probably break up shortly after entering the planet’s atmosphere and explode in the air.

Although the asteroids will most likely not hit the surface, previous reports have shown that mid-air explosions caused by asteroids can still be very dangerous. Back in 2013, an asteroid about 66 feet long detonated over a region in Russia known as Chelyabinsk Oblast.

The explosion, which happened at an altitude of 97,000 feet, was powerful enough to damage around 7,000 buildings on the ground. The incident also left about 1,500 people injured.

Fortunately, CNEOS noted that the asteroids will not hit Earth during their upcoming approach. According to the agency, 2019 SE8 will zip past the planet on Oct. 1 at 11:12 a.m. EDT from a distance of 0.00725 astronomical units or roughly 674,000 miles away.

2018 FK5, on the other hand, will approach the planet on Oct. 1 at 6:56 p.m. EDT. It will fly past Earth from a distance of 0.03405 astronomical units or around 3.2 million miles.

As for 2019 SD8, this asteroid will visit Earth’s neighborhood on Oct. 1 at 10:29 p.m. EDT. During this time, the asteroid will be about 0.00356 astronomical units or roughly 331,000 miles from the planet’s center.