Aircraft-sized asteroid will pass Earth closely today! NASA tracks its size, speed

Mass Effect developer BioWare is pulling back from Andromeda's open-world approach and plans to streamline its world for Mass Effect 4.

Asteroids are a constantly looming threat to the Earth. NASA actively monitors asteroids to safeguard the planet from potential threats. Their telescopes track newly discovered Near-Earth Asteroids (NEAs) by recording their positions in the sky, which are then reported to the Minor Planet Center. Subsequently, the Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) utilizes this data to calculate the most likely orbit of the asteroid around the Sun. To assess the possibility of an impact and refine the asteroid's true orbit, NASA employs the Sentry program, which employs a unique algorithm. Sentry randomly selects points within the entire region of uncertainty, allowing it to focus even on extremely improbable impact scenarios. The same process was undertaken for the latest asteroid that has come racing by.

The universe is full of surprises and asteroids are included. In fact, they have shocked and awed humanity for eons. Our Space agencies keep a close watch on them as they have crashed against Earth and left a trail of destruction. Space agencies like NASA and ESA have discovered more than tens of thousands of asteroids till now. In order to be prepared for any disaster caused by asteroids, it is necessary to keep tracking them. Therefore, NASA and ESA are constantly keeping an eye on these asteroids that threaten to approach Earth a little too closely. And one such asteroid did just that.

After numerous delays, NASA's Psyche mission is set to lift off on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Speaking about this upcoming asteroid mission, Laurie Leshin, director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory said, “One month out, we are in great shape”. For the unaware, the Psyche mission will study an asteroid known as 16 Psyche, which is made up of gold, nickel, and iron deposits. According to NASA, it could be worth more than the world's economy put together! Other than its gold-rich structure, the outer surface of this asteroid is nickel-rich which resembles an early planet's core.

NASA, ESA and other space agencies have multiple ground and space-based observatories and telescopes for discovering and tracking asteroids. Despite this, one asteroid snuck past these advanced technological marvels! The asteroid, named Asteroid 2023 NT1, made its closest approach to Earth on July 13 when it entered Earth's 60,000-mile radius, which is 4 times closer than the Moon! It was not a small rock either, as scientists later revealed it was nearly 200 feet wide, about 4 times the size of the Chelyabinsk asteroid that caused massive damage in Russia. It was at last found by the Asteroid Terrestrials-Impacts Last Alert System (ATLAS) observatory in South Africa on July 15.

NASA has issued details about an asteroid that is expected to fly past Earth at a close distance. The asteroid, given the designation of Asteroid 2021 JA5, is on its way towards Earth and will make its closest approach to Earth on September 6. This space rock was spotted by NASA's Defense Coordination Office (PDCO), which is responsible for monitoring the skies and keeping a watch on various Near-Earth Objects (NEOs).

India is about to embark on yet another historic journey, this time to the Sun. Just a few days ago, India was in the news as the Chandrayaan-3 mission to the Moon was successful as it achieved a soft landing on the lunar South Pole, becoming the first in the world to do so. Now, with its solar mission named Aditya-L1, which is set to launch on September 2, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) hopes to unravel the mysteries of the Sun.

Did you know that an asteroid struck Earth this year? While it wasn't a planet killer that wiped out entire species like another space rock did about 65 million years ago, this one did hit the surface. As per NASA, a meteorite 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.

Over the years, we have heard various stories about asteroids striking Earth and creating massive craters in various locations on Earth's surface. Scientists are constantly discovering new information about our Earth's history and so far 190 impacts have been found. Experts believe that once our planet was very sensitive to celestial objects and it had a very rough past. However, at present, it is highly unlikely that an asteroid will strike Earth any time soon.

Most asteroids are made up of carbon-rich substances, silicate materials or metals. But did you know about one space rock that is made of Earth's rarest metals? The asteroid, known as 16 Psyche, is made up of gold, nickel, and iron deposits. According to NASA, it could be worth more than the world's economy put together! Other than its gold-rich structure, the outer surface of this asteroid is nickel-rich which resembles an early planet's core. It is worth nearly $10 quadrillion, and this is why NASA has planned a mission to this asteroid to study its composition.

In the past decade, there have been several close calls with asteroids. While none of them have caused enough damage to wipe out life on Earth, they have impacted the surface and given us a stern indication of their destructive potential. In 2013, a mere 59 feet wide space rock, which is no bigger than a small house, was observed rushing towards Chelyabinsk in Russia at a speed of 65000 kilometers per hour and exploded over the city. While its impact was non-fatal, it still injured as many as 1400 people and damaged over 7000 buildings.

NASA is gearing up to launch its Psyche mission from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on October 5 at 10:38 a.m. EDT, and it has now called upon digital content creators to cover this amazing feat. The Psyche spacecraft, assisted by a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket, will lift off from Launch Complex 39A and will undertake a journey to an asteroid called 16 Psyche, which is located in the main asteroid belt, between the orbits of Jupiter and Mars.