NASA Monitors Three Asteroids Passing Earth at 15,000 MPH Today

By Karmactive Team

TRIPLE ASTEROID ALERT: 1,300-Foot Space Rock Leading Cosmic Traffic Jam Past Earth TODAY

NASA tracking three asteroids zooming by at up to 15,000 mph

Photo Credit: Kevin Gill (CC BY 2.0)

Photo Source: Basilicofresco (CC BY 2.0)

1,300 FEET ACROSS

The largest asteroid (424482 2008 DG5) is roughly the size of an aircraft carrier, ranking among the top 3% of known near-Earth objects by size

Photo Source: AnnieCee (CC0 1.0)

COSMIC CLOSE SHAVE

– "15,000 mph (6.7 km/s) - 20× faster than a bullet" – "3.5 million km from Earth (9× lunar distance)"

THE COSMIC TRIO

– "424482 (2008 DG5): 1,300 ft, 13,800 mph, 2.17 million mi" – "2025 LD: 73 ft, 15,000 mph, 696,000 mi" – "2025 KY4: 42 ft, 8,000 mph, 1.72 million mi"

Photo Credit: ESA/David Ducross (CC BY-SA IGO 3.0)

Photo Source: Basilicofresco (CC BY 2.0)

What makes an asteroid 'potentially hazardous'

It's not about current risk - PHAs are classified based on size (>140m) and orbit that brings them within 0.05 AU of Earth's path. NASA currently tracks 2,465 PHAs among 37,000+ near-Earth objects.

HOW NASA KEEPS WATCH

The Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) constantly monitors space for potential threats. Asteroid 2008 DG5 was first spotted in 2008 by the Catalina Sky Survey in Arizona.

Photo Credit: Wilerson S Andrade (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Photo Source: NOIRLab (CC BY 4.0)

MEASURING COSMIC RISK

– "Torino Scale (0-10): Public communication tool with color codes" – "Palermo Scale: Scientific measurement comparing impact probability to background risk" – "Today's visitors: All rate '0' - No hazard

Photo Source: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (CC BY 2.0)

FROM CONCERN TO CONFIDENCE

Earlier this year, asteroid 2024 YR4 reached a Torino Scale rating of 3 with a 3.1% Earth impact chance. As more observations came in, the risk dropped to 0.001% by February, then zero by April.

SEE IT YOURSELF

The Virtual Telescope Project is livestreaming 2008 DG5's journey starting at 22:00 UTC. With an apparent magnitude near 20, viewing directly requires at least a 12-inch telescope under dark skies.

Photo Credit: Donald Davis (Picryl)

Photo Source: Goodfon

GUARDING EARTH'S FUTURE

NASA's 2022 DART mission successfully demonstrated asteroid deflection. The upcoming NEO Surveyor telescope (2027) will accelerate detection of potential threats, targeting 90% catalog completeness.

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