NASA Asteroid Tracker: 7 Asteroids To Zip Past Earth This Week

NASA’s Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) has detected a total of seven asteroids that will approach Earth this week. According to the agency’s data, Earth will have close encounters with space rocks on almost a daily basis during the next couple of days.

The first asteroid that will fly close to Earth is 2019 NM4. It has an estimated diameter of 325 feet and is currently traveling at a speed of almost 18,000 miles per hour. According to CNEOS, the asteroid is expected to approach Earth on July 10 at 2:06 am ST from a distance of 0.02287 astronomical units or about 2.1 million miles.

Trailing behind 2019 NM4 is the asteroid dubbed as 2019 NM5. Although this asteroid is smaller than 2019 NM4 with a diameter of only 72 feet, it has a faster speed and is expected to approach Earth at a much closer distance.

CNEOS noted that 2019 NM5 has a velocity of 19,600 miles per hour and will fly past Earth from a distance of only 0.00544 astronomical units or 506,000 miles. It will visit Earth’s neighborhood on July 10 at 3:01 pm ST.

The third asteroid that will fly past Earth on July 10 is 2019 NN3. At around 4:29 pm ST, this asteroid will be about 0.00214 astronomical units or almost 200,000 miles away from Earth. Data shows the asteroid is about 249 feet long and traveling at a speed of 20,000 miles per hour.

The next near-Earth approach will happen on July 12. The first asteroid, known as 2019 KD3, will arrive at 6:42 am ST. With a diameter of 459 feet, it is the biggest asteroid that will approach Earth this week. It is currently traveling at a speed of 18,000 miles per hour and will zip past Earth from a distance of 0.03875 astronomical units or 3.7 million miles away.

The second asteroid that will visit Earth’s neighborhood on July 12 is 2016 NJ33. This asteroid is expected to arrive at 6:16 pm ST and will be about 0.03830 astronomical units or 3.6 million miles from the Earth’s center. CNEOS estimated the asteroid to be about 177 feet long with a velocity of 10,000 miles per hour.

On July 13 at 4:10 am ST, Earth will be visited by asteroid 2019 MW1. This asteroid has a diameter of about 246 feet and is currently moving at a speed of 19,000 miles per hour. During its approach, 2019 MW1 is expected to be about 0.02009 astronomical units or 1.9 million miles from Earth’s center.

The last asteroid that will fly close to Earth this week is 2019 NR3. According to CNEOS, the asteroid’s arrival will happen on July 14 at 11:33 am ST. It will be about 0.04304 astronomical units or 4 million miles from Earth during its approach.

2019 NR3 is estimated to be about 112 feet with a velocity of roughly 11,000 miles per hour.