Azernews.Az

By Alimat Aliyeva

Two asteroids are expected to pass close to Earth at the end of this week, Azernews reports.

According to Newsweek, this information comes from the Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).

Both asteroids are classified as near-Earth objects (NEOs) and are considered potentially hazardous.

The asteroids, named 447755 (2007 JX2) and 2020 XR, are estimated to be comparable in size to the Empire State Building, a 102-story, 443.2-meter-tall skyscraper in New York City.

These celestial objects are scheduled to pass Earth on December 3 and 4, respectively. The first asteroid, 447755 (2007 JX2), will pass at a distance of 5.5 million km, while the second, 2020 XR, will come within 2.2 million km.

While these distances are relatively far in astronomical terms, they are still closer than many other objects in our solar system. For comparison, the average distance between Earth and the Moon is about 384,400 km, meaning that these asteroids will come much closer than the Moon’s orbit.

NASA and other space agencies constantly monitor such objects to assess any potential risks. Fortunately, both of these asteroids are not on a collision course with Earth, but they provide valuable opportunities for scientists to study the composition and behavior of near-Earth objects. Understanding these objects is crucial for planetary defense strategies in the future, should an asteroid ever pose a more significant threat.