NASA Asteroid Tracker: 6 NEOs To Approach, Zip Past Earth This Weekend

NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) is currently monitoring six asteroids that are expected to visit Earth’s neighborhood this weekend. The largest asteroid in the group is bigger than the Statue of Liberty.

According to CNEOS, four of the approaching asteroids will fly past Earth on Saturday (May 23). The first asteroid that will zip past Earth this weekend is known as 2020 KU. This asteroid measures about 39 feet wide and is currently moving across space at a speed of almost 16,000 miles per hour.

Trailing behind 2020 KU is the asteroid called 2020 JR1. According to CNEOS, this asteroid has an estimated diameter of 56 feet. It is currently approaching Earth at an average velocity of almost 14,000 miles per hour.

The third asteroid that will fly past Earth on Saturday is called 2020 KJ. As indicated in CNEOS’ database, this asteroid measures about 240 feet wide and is flying at a speed of over 25,000 miles per hour.

Closely following 2020 KJ is 2020 JX. With an estimated diameter of 328 feet, 2020 JX is the biggest known asteroid that will fly past Earth this weekend. According to CNEOS, the asteroid is flying across the solar system at a speed of almost 18,000 miles per hour.

All four asteroids will have their near-Earth flybys on Saturday. 2020 KU will arrive first at 1:22 a.m. EDT. It will fly past Earth from a distance of 0.00259 astronomical units or about 240,000 miles away.

2020 JR1 will approach Earth at 1:58 a.m. EDT. During this time, it will be about 0.00983 astronomical units or 914,000 miles from the planet’s center. As for 2020 KJ, this asteroid will fly past Earth at 11:48 a.m. EDT from about 0.02304 astronomical units or 2.1 million miles away.

According to CNEOS, 2020 JX will zip past the planet at 2:02 p.m. EDT. During its approach, it will be about 0.04986 astronomical units or 4.6 million miles from Earth.

On Sunday (May 24), Earth will experience two flybys from different asteroids. The first, known as 2020 KX measures about 108 feet wide. It is moving at a speed of almost 17,000 miles per hour.

This asteroid will fly past Earth at 3:39 a.m. EDT from a distance of 0.03160 astronomical units or about 2.9 million miles away.

The second asteroid that will zip past Earth on Sunday is called 2020 JZ1. This asteroid measures about 134 feet wide and is moving towards Earth at a speed of almost 13,000 miles per hour. It will fly past the planet at 12:52 p.m. EDT from about 0.02978 astronomical units or roughly 2.8 million miles away.