NASA Tracker Detects Massive Asteroid Passing By Earth On Sunday

NASA is currently tracking a massive building-sized asteroid that’s expected to approach Earth on Sunday (April 26). Aside from the incoming asteroid, two other near-Earth objects will fly past the planet this weekend.

According to NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS), the massive asteroid has been identified as 2020 FM6. It has an estimated diameter of 820 feet and is currently moving towards Earth at a speed of almost 38,000 miles per hour.

Given its massive size and speed, the asteroid is capable of causing a major impact event on Earth if it hits the planet. Due to this, 2020 FM6 has been classified by NASA as a potentially hazardous asteroid.

“Potentially hazardous asteroids are currently defined based on parameters that measure the asteroid’s potential to make threatening close approaches to the Earth,” NASA explained. “Specifically, all asteroids with a minimum orbit intersection distance of 0.05 [astronomical units] or less and an absolute magnitude of 22.0 or less are considered [potentially hazardous asteroids].”

According to CNEOS, 2020 FM6 is expected to approach Earth on April 26 at 11:35 p.m. EDT. During its approach, it will be about 0.03673 astronomical units or 3.4 million miles from the planet’s center.

Aside from 2020 FM6, Earth will also be visited by two other asteroids on Sunday. The first one is called 2019 HS2. CNEOS noted that this asteroid measures about 92 feet wide and is approaching Earth with a velocity of 28,000 miles per hour.

The second asteroid that will arrive on Sunday is known as 2019 GF1. This asteroid is currently traveling across space at a speed of 7,000 miles per hour. It has an estimated diameter of about 65 feet.

According to CNEOS, both asteroids belong to the family of Aten space rocks. This means that 2019 HS2 and 2019 GF1 follow natural orbits that intersect Earth’s path.

2019 HS2 will fly past Earth on April 26 at 10:40 a.m. EDT from a distance of 0.03488 astronomical units or roughly 3.2 million miles away.

2019 GF1, on the other hand, will approach the planet on April 26 at 7:55 p.m. EDT from about 0.04783 astronomical units or 4.4 million miles away.