NASA Asteroid Airburst Warning: 75-Foot NEO Approaching Earth Tomorrow

KEY POINTS

An asteroid is expected to approach Earth tomorrow
The approaching asteroid follows an Earth-crossing orbit
The asteroid is big enough to cause a powerful explosion in the atmosphere

NASA is monitoring an asteroid that’s currently headed for Earth. According to the data collected by the agency’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS), the incoming asteroid is big enough to cause a violent explosion in the atmosphere if it collides with the planet.

The approaching asteroid has been identified as 2017 RZ15. As indicated in CNEOS’ database, this asteroid measures about 75 feet wide. It is currently moving across space at a speed of over 16,500 miles per hour.

According to CNEOS, 2017 RZ15 is an Aten asteroid with an orbit that crosses the paths of various planets in the Solar System. These include Venus, Mercury and Earth.

If factors in space, such as the gravitational pull of nearby planets, affect the orbit of 2017 RZ15, it could end up on a collision course with Earth. In the event of a collision, the asteroid will most likely not cause an impact event on Earth. Since it is not that big, the asteroid will probably burn up upon entering Earth’s atmosphere and cause a huge explosion in the sky.

Even though 2017 RZ15 won’t hit the ground, its mid-air explosion can still be very dangerous. Given its size and speed, the asteroid could create a powerful and violent explosion in the atmosphere. The energy that its airburst would release could be equivalent to at least 30 atomic bombs.

Although much of the blast would be absorbed by the atmosphere, the remaining energy that would be deflected onto Earth could still be powerful enough to cause significant damage. Depending on the altitude of the explosion, its energy could break windows and cause structural damages to hundreds to thousands of buildings on the ground. It could also injure a lot of people.

According to CNEOS, Earth is currently not in danger of getting hit by 2017 RZ15. As noted by the agency, the asteroid is expected to fly past the planet on Jan 15. At 8:57 am EST. During its approach, the asteroid will approach the planet from a distance of about 0.03103 astronomical units or roughly 2.9 million miles away.