NASA predicts close approach of Asteroid 2023 CR2 TODAY!
Asteroid flybys have become quite frequent as the year has progressed. As many as 5 asteroids made close approaches to Earth the day before yesterday. It was also reported that NASA had found one of the most elongated asteroids amongst the 1040 near-Earth objects observed by planetary radar to date which made Earth approach yesterday. Now, the space agency has revealed that yet another asteroid is heading towards Earth and although it isn't as big as Asteroid 2011 AG5, it is moving towards Earth at fearsome speed.
The asteroid is named 2023 CR2. NASA has revealed the asteroid's speed, distance, trajectory and more. Check it out here.
NASA's Planetary Defense Coordination Office, which keeps an eye on dangerous Near-Earth Objects (NEOs), has red-flagged an asteroid named Asteroid 2023 CR2 due to its extremely close approach to the planet. The asteroid will make its closest approach to Earth today, February 20, at a distance of 7.3 million kilometers.
According to NASA, this asteroid is moving at a fearsome speed. It has been clocked at a fearsome speed of 62528 kilometers per hour. Asteroid 2023 CR2 will miss the planet by a relatively safe distance. NASA estimates it to be almost 66 feet wide, making it nearly the size of an aircraft.
NASA and other space agencies have kept a watchful eye on a particular asteroid which was previously expected to impact Earth. Although it has now been determined that the asteroid will not crash to the planet's surface, it will make an extremely close approach this decade, giving scientists a chance to study it.
This asteroid is named 99942 Apophis and has been given the designation Asteroid 2004 MN4 by NASA's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies. According to NASA, the Asteroid 99942 Apophis
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