NASA has raised alarms about asteroid 2024 MT1, a colossal space rock hurtling toward Earth at a rapid speed of 65,215 km/h. Measuring approximately 260 feet in diameter, this gargantuan asteroid is set to make its closest approach to Earth on July 8, prompting the space agency to issue a warning.
The Near-Earth Object Observations Programme of NASA, which actively monitors and analyzes asteroids and comets in close proximity to Earth, first detected asteroid 2024 MT1. This latest revelation has sparked concerns regarding the potential impact of this sizable asteroid and the need for rigorous tracking and observations to better understand its trajectory and potential hazards.
In a separate development, NASA recently captured images of two other asteroids that made close passes around Earth last week. Using the Goldstone Solar System Radar in California, the space agency transmitted radio waves to the asteroids and analyzed the reflected echoes.
The first of these asteroids, named 2011 UL21, came within 4.1 million miles of Earth, approximately 17 times the distance to the Moon. Measuring nearly one mile wide, the asteroid exhibited a spherical shape and was found to have a small “moonlet” orbiting it, as revealed by the radar images obtained by NASA.
The space agency expressed that this was the first time 2011 UL21 had come close enough to Earth to be imaged by radar, despite being identified around 13 years ago. The successful capture of radar images and analysis of these asteroids underscores NASA’s ongoing efforts to track and understand near-Earth objects, highlighting the critical importance of monitoring potential threats from space for the safety and security of our planet.
As the date of the close flyby of asteroid 2024 MT1 approaches, NASA continues to monitor the situation closely and is poised to provide updates and further insights into the trajectory and potential impact of this colossal space rock.
