NASA asteroid watch says BUS-sized rock hurtling towards Earth today
From one asteroid scare to the next, the week just keeps ratcheting up the fear factor! While astronomy enthusiasts are thrilled at teh prospect of watching asteroids approach Earth at mind-numbing speeds, for the rest of the population on Earth, they manage to generate fear. What if...? Just a day after three asteroids flew past Earth, including a giant 720 feet (210 mtr) wide asteroid, today another big asteroid is headed towards our home planet. Named 2022 CX4 by NASA, this bus-sized asteroid has been classified as a near Earth object or NEO. NEO asteroids are those which are so close to our planet that a slight fluctuation in its orbital path can lead it to crash straight into Earth, causing a global catastrophe. Although the asteroid is expected to pass at a distance of more than 10 lakh kilometers, in terms of interplanetary distances, this is too small for comfort. However, as of now, there are no risks of the asteroid hitting Earth, so make sure to keep an eye out for this space rock!
A big reason why we are able to calculate whether an asteroid can cause a potential risk to us or not, is because NASA has been very vigilant towards all asteroids around the Earth. The space agency also established the Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDCO) in 2016, which identifies and assesses all NEO asteroids to ensure that none pose a threat to the blue planet. NASA also has an Asteroid Watch dashboard that tracks asteroids and comets that will make relatively close approaches to Earth.
The asteroid 2022 CX4 is a 28 feet wide asteroid, which is approximately the size of a large bus. While it may appear small, it can still cause catastrophic damage as it travels at a speed of thousands of miles per hour. This asteroid is
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