Asteroid 2024 YY5's safe flyby: NASA assures no threat
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory is tracking the asteroid 2024 YY5. The space rock will approach Earth on Sunday, January 26. Scientists have assured the public that it poses no threat to our planet.
According to the portal indiatimes.com, on Sunday, January 26, 2025, the asteroid named 2024 YY5 will pass by Earth. The event has sparked interest among the scientific community and astronomy enthusiasts. Asteroid 2024 YY5 has a diameter of approximately 13 metres. When it reaches our planet, it will be travelling at a speed of about 8,770 kilometres per hour.
Although asteroid 2024 YY5 is approaching our planet, experts have confirmed that there is no reason for concern. According to NASA, an asteroid is classified as a potentially hazardous asteroid (PHA) only if it is more than 150 metres in size and passes within a critical distance. In the case of 2024 YY5, it is significantly smaller and will maintain a safe trajectory, posing no threat to our planet.
According to media sources, the asteroid will pass at an estimated distance of about 4,780,000 kilometres from Earth. Such distances far exceed the threshold distance deemed potentially hazardous by NASA for larger asteroids. This threshold is 7,403,000 kilometres.
Monitoring potentially hazardous objects to Earth
According to the moneycontrol.com service, asteroids like 2024 YY5 are relics from the formation of the Solar System. These ancient objects occasionally approach Earth's orbit. NASA uses advanced radar and tracking tools to observe their paths.
Monitoring near-Earth objects (NEOs) helps assess risks and protects the planet from potential threats. NASA also collaborates with several observatories, such as Pan-STARRS1 in Hawaii and the Catalina Sky Survey in Arizona, as well as space telescopes. This collaboration allows scientists to plot the orbits of asteroids, thus gathering valuable information about them.
