1200-foot asteroid to pass Earth today, says NASA; it is as big as the Empire State Building

With the help of its advanced ground and space-based telescopes, NASA has tracked an asteroid whose orbit will bring it very close to Earth today. The orbits of these asteroids, which are also known as ancient space rocks, often bring them very close to Earth, and this is known as a ‘close approach'. As per the Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS), an asteroid, given the designation of Asteroid 2023 VT3, is on its way and could make its closest approach to Earth today, November 10.

On November 1, NASA's Lucy spacecraft flew by its first-ever asteroid target, named Dinkinesh. The asteroid was observed up close by the spacecraft which made a shocking new discovery - the Dinkinesh asteroid had a small satellite orbiting it! There is more to this than just that. After fully studying the data sent by the Lucy spacecraft, scientists have revealed that the satellite is not made up of one, but two smaller objects touching each other. This is known as a close binary.

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Through various experiments, scientists have known that while asteroids have the potential to cause catastrophic damage if they impact Earth, these objects can also become a resource hub. Scientists study asteroids to learn more about the early solar system and the conditions that existed when the planets were forming. However, an entirely new experiment could mean that asteroids may also protect Earth from the Sun's intense rays, mitigating climate change! This move, ideated by astronomer Istvan Szapudi, from the University of Hawai'i Institute for Astronomy, proposes a space-based solar radiation management (SRM) shield or shade that is tethered to an asteroid as a counterweight.

Last week, a forecast revealed that three coronal mass ejections had a probability of striking the Earth early this week. The forecast had given different probabilities based on how different circumstances can affect the intensity of the resultant solar storm. It turned out that in a rare coincidence, the conditions were met to spark the worst-possible solar event, and a G3-class storm ensued yesterday, November 6. While a lot of it has subsided, the solar storm event does not look like it is going to subside anytime soon. A stream of solar winds is headed for the Earth, and it can spark another round of solar storms, that can reach the intensity of G2-class, which is possible today, November 7.

Asteroids are ancient space rocks left over from the early formation of our solar system about 4.6 billion years ago, according to NASA. These space rocks orbit the Sun and are mainly present in the asteroid belt located between Jupiter and Mars. On a few occasions, the orbits of these asteroids bring them close to Earth, a phenomenon known as a ‘Close approach'. NASA has various space and ground-based telescopes to discover and track asteroids in the sky. With the help of this advanced technology, the space agency has revealed that not one but two asteroids will pass Earth today, November 7, at extremely close distances! Know all about it.

Did you know that you can see the asteroid sample collected by NASA up close? The NASA OSIRIS-REx spacecraft recently concluded a historic mission that involved landing on an asteroid, taking rock and dust samples, and delivering them back to Earth. Although NASA had initially run into trouble while opening the sample capsule, it has now obtained them, and a part of it has even been put up on display at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington DC! So, go ahead and view the historic samples yourself if you live nearby!

2023 has been a great year for games, no doubt — but it’s a lot, isn’t it? There are so many brilliant games clamoring for our attention, and a lot of them are quite busy, noisy, or complex in themselves. Alan Wake 2 is an intense, fractured, and scary psychotropic horror game. Spider-Man 2 is a whole, bustling city full of slick distractions. Super Mario Bros. Wonder is an ever-shifting psychedelic fever dream of a platformer. Or maybe you’re considering resuming one of this year’s weighty role-playing games mid-playthrough — Starfield, Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, or Baldur’s Gate 3. Somehow, Diablo 4 is already deep into its second season. It’s all a bit overwhelming.

An asteroid struck Earth this year! No, this isn't the plot of a Roland Emmerich science-fiction but reality. Although it wasn't a planet killer that wiped out entire species like another space rock wiped out the dinosaurs about 65 million years ago, it did impact the surface, alerting citizens who lived nearby. As per NASA, an asteroid turned into an atmospheric fireball on February 15 and crashed near McAllen, Texas. Law enforcement agencies in the McAllen region received several calls from residents who reported hearing a loud explosion. It was a 1000-pound rock that was 2 feet in diameter as it broke into pieces about 21 miles above Earth's surface.

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There have been several close calls with asteroids in history. But did you know that not all asteroids have the same composition? According to NASA, the three primary classifications of asteroids are C-type, S-type, and M-type. C-type asteroids, which are composed primarily of carbon-rich substances, are the most frequent. S-type asteroids, which are made up mainly of silicate minerals, are less common. M-type asteroids, which are primarily composed of metal, are the least prevalent. One rare asteroid has recently piqued the interest of scientists as it is reportedly made of gold, silver and nickel deposits!