NASA Asteroid Tracker: 3 Massive Asteroids, Including 853-Footer, Skim Earth This Friday

asteroids_passing_earth — Pictured; an artistic illustration of an asteroid flying by Earth. NASA

NASA has detected a total of three massive asteroids that are expected to approach Earth on Friday the 13^th. According to the agency’s Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS), one of the incoming asteroids is bigger than the towers of the Golden Gate Bridge.

The first asteroid that will zip past Earth this Friday has been identified by CNEOS as 2010 RM82. According to the agency, this asteroid is traveling at a velocity of almost 33,000 miles per hour and has an estimated diameter of about 128 feet.

CNEOS predicted that the asteroid will approach Earth on Sept. 13 at 6:38 am EDT. During this time, the asteroid will be about 0.04655 astronomical units or roughly 4.3 million miles from the planet’s center.

After 2010 RM82’s approach, Earth will be visited by the asteroid known as 2013 CV83. This asteroid is currently moving at a speed of 29,000 miles per hour. The agency estimated that the asteroid is about 328 feet long.

2013 CV83 is expected to fly past Earth on Sept. 13 at 8:54 am EDT. During this time, the asteroid will approach the planet from a distance of 0.04134 astronomical units or around 3.8 million miles away.

The last asteroid that will visit Earth’s neighborhood on Friday is called 504800 (2010 CO1). As the biggest asteroid in the group, this space rock has an estimated diameter of 853 feet, making it almost twice as tall as the Great Pyramid in Giza. According to CNEOS, this asteroid is currently moving at a speed of 32,000 miles per hour.

504800 (2010 CO1) is expected to approach Earth on Sept. 13 at 11:42 pm EDT. As it flies by Earth, CNEOS noted that it will approach the planet from a distance of 0.03561 astronomical units or roughly 3.3 million miles away.

All three asteroids have been classified by CNEOS as Apollos. Like other Apollo asteroids, 2010 RM82, 2013 CV83 and 504800 (2010 CO1) have wide orbits that take them around the Earth and the Sun. From time to time, their orbit intersects with that of Earth as it completes its cycle around the giant star.

NASA Asteroid Earth Space