NASA Tracker: 174-Foot Earth-Crossing Asteroid Flying Past Earth On Monday

KEY POINTS

NASA detected an asteroid approaching Earth
2020 LV is almost as big as the Leaning Tower of Pisa
The approaching asteroid follows an Earth-crossing orbit but will safely fly past the planet

NASA detected an asteroid as big as a building that is about to fly past Earth. According to the data collected by the agency, the incoming asteroid is expected to intersect the planet’s orbit during its upcoming visit.

The asteroid that’s currently approaching Earth is known as 2020 LV. As indicated in the database of NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS), this space rocks measures about 174 feet wide, which makes it almost as big as the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy.

According to CNEOS, 2020 LV will zip past Earth at an average velocity of almost 11,000 miles per hour.

2020 LV was first observed on June 14. After analyzing its trajectory, NASA was able to create an orbit diagram depicting the asteroid’s path. As indicated in the diagram, 2020 LV follows a trajectory that mainly revolves within the orbits of Earth and Venus.

As the asteroid completes its journey around the Sun, it occasionally crosses Earth’s path. Since the asteroid has a smaller orbital axis than the planet and follows an Earth-crossing orbit, it has been classified as a member of the Aten family of space rocks.

Earth-intersecting asteroids are often regarded as dangerous as they have the potential to directly collide with the planet. In the case of 2020 LV, this asteroid is estimated not to be able to cause an impact even if it hits Earth. Instead of hitting the ground, this asteroid will most likely explode in the air after entering the atmosphere due to its size and speed.

According to CNEOS, 2020 LV is expected to cross Earth’s orbit on Monday (June 22) at 5:15 a.m. EDT. Fortunately, the agency noted that the asteroid is not in danger of colliding with Earth during its upcoming flyby.

As noted by CNEOS, 2020 LV will safely fly past the planet from a distance of 0.01386 astronomical units, which is equivalent to about 1.3 million miles away. The asteroid is not expected to return to Earth’s vicinity until its next flyby, which according to NASA is expected to happen on Jan. 3, 2027.