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Two asteroids have been spotted traveling towards Earth in their orbit by NASA. The US Space Agency has issued an alert that these two space rocks have been designated as near-Earth asteroids and will pass the planet closely. These close approaches follow the continuing trend of asteroid flybys in recent months. From size and speed to close approach distance, know everything about these asteroids.
asteroid CE7 2024: Details
The first asteroid to pass by Earth today was designated asteroid 2024 CE7 by NASA CNEOS. It is expected to pass Earth just 5.2 million kilometers away. According to NASA, it moves in its orbit at a speed of 69,645 kilometers per hour, which is even faster than a space shuttle!
In terms of size, it is almost 120 feet wide, making it almost as big as an airplane. It belongs to the Apollo group of near-Earth asteroids, which are Earth-crossing space rocks with semi-major axes larger than that of Earth. These asteroids are named after the massive 1862 Apollo asteroid, discovered by German astronomer Karl Reinmuth in the 1930s.
Asteroid 2024 CC7: details
The second asteroid, designated Asteroid 2024 CC7, is moving toward Earth in its orbit at a slower speed of 21,582 kilometers per hour. NASA also expects this space rock to fly by Earth at a close margin of approximately 5.8 million kilometers tomorrow, February 28.
In terms of size, asteroid 2024 CC7 is smaller than asteroid 2024 CE7. NASA says it has a width of almost 59 feet, making it almost as big as a house. According to NASA, it belongs to the Aten group of asteroids, which are Earth-crossing near-Earth asteroids (NEAs) with semi-major axes smaller than that of Earth. They are named after the asteroid 2062 Aten and the first of their kind was discovered by American astronomer Eleanor Helin at the Palomar Observatory on January 7, 1976.
It is important to note that although the two asteroids have been termed as near-Earth asteroids due to their short passage distance, they are not expected to actually impact the planet, the US Space Agency further revealed.
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