260-foot Asteroid 2023 EK2 set for close Earth encounter TODAY; Behemoth speeding at 55468 kmph

tech.hindustantimes.com:

NASA has recently warned about a similar asteroid that is approaching Earth and is expected to have a close encounter with the planet. Although asteroids can be found orbiting our Sun between Mars and Jupiter within the main asteroid belt, they can sometimes stray from their trajectory and head towards Earth for a potential surface impact. Asteroids move in an elliptical orbit around the Sun, and they also rotate while moving, sometimes in an erratic manner. Now, Asteroid 2023 EK2 is on its way and it will make a close approach to Earth today.

The asteroid, given the name of Asteroid 2023 EK2, has particularly piqued the interest of scientists due to its sheer size. It is nearly a 260-foot wide behemoth, which makes it almost as big as a skyscraper, NASA says!

In fact, it is bigger than the Big O Ferris wheel located in Tokyo. Due to its size, Asteroid 2023 EK2 could have huge destructive potential if it impacts the planet, especially if it crashes in a densely populated area.

The space agency further revealed that Asteroid 2023 EK2 will make its closest approach to Earth today, March 30, at a distance of 4.9 million kilometers. In fact, it is already dashing towards Earth, at a fearsome speed of 55468 kilometers per hour, which is much faster than a hypersonic ballistic missile!

To counter these asteroids which head for Earth for potential impact, NASA has already carried out the testing of its DART Mission for planetary protection. The space agency crashed a spacecraft into an oncoming asteroid to successfully divert it from its path.

Now, ESA is also gearing up to build an early warning system for dangerous asteroids. Called NEOMIR (Near-Earth Object Mission in the InfraRed), the spacecraft would orbit between the Earth