NASA Asteroid Tracker: 243-Foot NEO To Fly Past Earth

KEY POINTS

NASA detected an asteroid approaching Earth this week
2020 MQ2 follows an Earth-crossing orbit
The asteroid is big enough to cause an impact event but will safely zip past the planet on Tuesday

NASA’s automated asteroid tracking system is currently monitoring a massive asteroid that’s expected to fly past Earth on Tuesday. According to the agency, the asteroid follows a natural orbit that crosses Earth’s path.

The asteroid was identified by NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) as 2020 MQ2. CNEOS noted that this space rock measures about 243 feet wide, making it almost as big as a giant sequoia tree, which could grow up to 279 feet.

According to the agency, the asteroid is expected to approach Earth at a speed of almost 19,000 miles per hour.

2020 MQ2 was first observed on June 14. According to the orbit diagram made by NASA, 2020 MQ2 follows a wide trajectory around the Sun. Its orbit is known to extend beyond that of Mars. Occasionally, the asteroid crosses Earth’s path.

Since the asteroid has a bigger orbital axis than Earth and intersects the planet’s orbit from time to time, it has been classified as a member of the Apollo family of space rocks.

2020 MQ2’s Earth-crossing orbit means that the asteroid has a chance of colliding with the planet if its trajectory slightly changes. Given the size of the asteroid, it might end up hitting the ground instead of burning up and exploding in the sky.

If an impact event occurs, 2020 MQ2 will create a crater that’s about a mile wide. The energy from the impact would be powerful enough to destroy everything in its immediate surroundings.

Fortunately, CNEOS noted that 2020 MQ2 is not in danger of hitting Earth during its upcoming approach. According to the agency, the asteroid is expected to safely fly past Earth on July 14 at 12:30 a.m. EDT.

During its approach, the asteroid is expected to zip past the planet from a distance of about 0.04373 astronomical units, which is equivalent to about 4 million miles away.

According to NASA’s projections of 2020 MQ2’s trajectory, the asteroid is not expected to return to Earth’s neighborhood until Nov. 22. As noted by the agency, the asteroid will approach Earth from a much farther distance during its future visit. NASA estimated that 2020 MQ2 would fly past Earth in November from a distance of 0.44344 astronomical units or 41 million miles away.