NASA Asteroid 2019: 3 Tiny Asteroids Could Explode In Earth's Sky Tomorrow

NASA’s tracking system has spotted three asteroids that are currently heading for Earth. Based on the sizes of the asteroids, they will most likely explode in the sky if they enter Earth’s atmosphere.

The first asteroid that will approach Earth tomorrow has been identified by NASA’s Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) as 2019 SP3. According to the agency, this space rock is currently moving at a speed of over 19,000 miles per hour. With an estimated diameter of 108 feet, 2019 SP3 is the biggest asteroid in the group.

The second asteroid that’s set to fly past Earth is called 2019 SH9. CNEOS noted that it is approaching Earth with a speed of about 33,000 miles per hour. It has an estimated diameter of around 52 feet.

Trailing behind 2019 SH9 is an asteroid known as 2019 TK. This asteroid is flying with a velocity of 31,000 miles per hour. According to CNEOS, 2019 TK is about as wide as 2019 SH9.

All three asteroids have been classified by CNEOS as Apollos, which means they have wide orbits that take them around the Earth and the Sun. From time to time, their orbits intersect with that of Earth as it completes its cycle around the giant star.

If these asteroids end up colliding with the planet, they probably won’t hit Earth’s surface. Instead, these asteroids will most likely burn up and explode in the Earth’s atmosphere. This, however, does not mean that these asteroids are completely harmless.

Past records have shown that mid-air explosions caused by asteroids can still be dangerous. For instance, in 2013, the 66-feet-wide asteroid that exploded over Russia released energy equivalent to hundreds of kilotons of TNT. The explosion was so powerful that it damaged over 7,000 buildings on the ground.

Fortunately, it seems the three asteroids will completely miss Earth during their upcoming approach. According to NASA's data, 2019 SP3 will fly past the planet on Oct. 3 at 2:33 am EDT from a distance of 0.00249 astronomical units or roughly 231,500 miles away.

2019 SH9, on the other hand, will make its approach on Oct. 3 at 3:39 am EDT. During this time, the asteroid will be about 0.01167 astronomical or about 1 million miles from the planet’s center

Lastly, 2019 TK is set to visit Earth’s neighborhood on Oct. 3 at 10:57 am EDT. It will fly past the planet from a distance of 0.00313 astronomical units or about 291,000 miles away.