While we continue to battle with the pandemic, there are other things happening on the universe that can cause a potential threat to our planet. Among them are the asteroid flybys past the Earth. This year, there have been quite a few space rocks that closely fly past the Earth. And now, NASA identified and warned another potentially hazardous rock, called 2020 ND that will move past the planet today, July 24. NASA explained the asteroid about 170 metres-long and the space rock will be as close as 0.034 astronomical unites, about 5,086,328 kilometres to our planet and it is travelling at a speed of 48,000 kilometres per hour. NASA placed its distance from the Earth as ‘potentially hazardous’ category. Why is it ‘potentially hazardous?’ As the space rock is set to flyby the planet today, here we bring you more about 2020ND that you should know. Asteroid 2020 ND to Make Close Approach To The Earth on July 24, Is It Dangerous or Will it Bring Doomsday?

What Are Potentially Hazardous Asteroids?

Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs) are at present defined based on parameters that measure the asteroid’s potential to make threatening close approaches to the planet earth. NASA explains, “All asteroids with an Earth Minimum Orbit Intersection Distance (MOID) of 0.05 au or less and an absolute magnitude (H) of 22.0 or less are considered PHAs.” The agency classifies these objects as ‘Near-Earth Objects’ (NEOs) as they get nudged by other planets’ gravitational attraction resulting in their proximity to our solar system. Another Doomsday Alert? Hazardous Asteroid 2020 ND, Bigger Than The London Eye, to Flyby Earth on July 24. 

Is 2020 ND Asteroid Dangerous?

According to NASA, even if asteroids are classified as PHAs, it will not necessarily impact the Earth. Scientists and researchers at NASA keep a tab on not all, but many objects in space which are in and around our planet. Based on a certain distance from the planet, NASA made a list of NEOs. Some could be meteoroids, or asteroids or just space debris. The asteroid 2020 ND will come within 0.034 astronomical unit (au) of the Earth, which makes it fall under the PHA category by space agencies. However, NASA explains that even if asteroids are classified as PHAs, it does not necessary means that it will have an impact on Earth.

“It only means there is a possibility for such a threat. By monitoring these PHAs and updating their orbits as new observations become available, we can better predict the close-approach statistics and thus their Earth-impact threat,” NASA said in an official statement.

The Asteroid 2020 ND is said to be bigger than the London Eye, and the space agency had warned about its approach a week ago. But there is nothing to be scared as of yet, as the asteroid will safely pass by the planet.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 24, 2020 11:20 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).