NASA: Asteroid, larger than the Eiffel Tower, set to get dangerously close to Earth

tech.hindustantimes.com:

A gigantic asteroid is rushing towards the Earth, according to the American space agency NASA. The asteroid is 1,600-feet wide and will make its closest approach to the Earth on Monday, May 9th. Unlike many asteroids that have zoomed past our planet in recent times, this one is actually very large. For reference, this asteroid is about 100 feet larger than the Eiffel Tower. Such asteroids are rare and every time an asteroid this size gets close to the Earth, it is a matter of concern as even the slightest deviation can spell disaster for us. If an asteroid this size were to hit the planet, it would create a massive area of destruction, create long-ranging seismic waves and cause tsunami in nearby regions. Know what are the chances of an asteroid strike.

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory by NASA has explained that the asteroid is named 467460 (2006 JF42) and it is 1600-feet or 488 meters wide. The asteroid is expected to make its closest approach to the Earth at a distance of 5,710,000 kilometers. The asteroid is moving at a speed of 37,196 km/h. While this may sound like a large distance, at the high speed it is traveling, it gets reduced to a small distance. Scientists are continuously watching the asteroid to ensure that it maintains its distance. At the moment, it is expected that the asteroid will make a safe passage and is not likely to impact against Earth.

Due to the asteroid 2006 JF42’s size and relatively close proximity to the Earth, it is being classified as potentially hazardous. The asteroid belongs to the Aten class of asteroids. The Aten asteroids are a dynamical group of asteroids whose orbits bring them into proximity with Earth. By definition, Atens are Earth-crossing asteroids. This particular asteroid