NASA, utilizing its cutting-edge ground and space-based telescopes like NEOWISE, ALMA, Pans-STARRS1, and Catalina Sky Survey, has identified a house-sized asteroid, named Asteroid 2024 CT7, set to pass by Earth on February 27. While it will approach Earth closely, NASA reassures that there is no risk of impact on the planet’s surface.
Asteroid 2024 CT7: Close Approach Details
NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) discloses that Asteroid 2024 CT7 will pass Earth at a distance of approximately 2.3 million kilometers. Currently hurtling towards Earth at a staggering speed of 27,762 kilometers per hour, this space rock belongs to the Apollo group of Near-Earth Asteroids.
The Apollo asteroids are named after the 1862 Apollo asteroid, initially discovered by German astronomer Karl Reinmuth in the 1930s. They are categorized as Earth-crossing space rocks with semi-major axes larger than Earth’s.
Other Details
Asteroid 2024 CT7 has made a previous pass by Earth on June 5, 1949, at a distance of approximately 54 million kilometers. After the upcoming encounter, it is projected to approach Earth again on April 17, 2035, at a distance of 52 million kilometers.
Is it Dangerous?
Despite its close proximity, NASA confirms that Asteroid 2024 CT7 poses no threat to Earth due to its relatively small size. With a width equivalent to 52 feet, the asteroid is comparable to the size of a house. According to NASA’s classification, asteroids larger than 492 feet, passing Earth closer than 7.5 million kilometers, fall under the category of ‘Potentially Hazardous Objects.’
As Asteroid 2024 CT7 gracefully graces the cosmic stage, scientists and space enthusiasts alike await this celestial spectacle, emphasizing the importance of continued monitoring and understanding of near-Earth objects.
