2024 ON is 720 ft. in diameter and approximately two times larger than a cricket field, NASA has already issued an alert about this huge asteroid & expecting ditto dangerously come close to the Earth from at 620,000 miles distance on September 15, 2024. They’ve really latched on to its 25,000 miles per hour velocity and what that could mean.
Because of its large size and fast speed, asteroid 2024 ON has been monitored closely in the past by NASA’s Near-Earth Object Observations Program. This program is made to detect and follow objects flying close to earth. That distance is still around 2.6 times the span between Earth and the Moon at its closest point.
Asteroid Larger Than Two Cricket Pitches Approaching Earth on September 15
Key to capturing and analyzing the asteroid’s path is NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California. JPL scientists have observed 2024 On (with specialized Radar and optical telescopes) the details such as its size, shape, what it is mostly made of. Such information is essential for the assessment of its likely impact and development of strategies to minimize this risk.
At 720 feet—about the height of a 60-story building—and travelling at hundreds of miles per hour, NASA nevertheless estimates that the chance it will actually plow into our precious little planet is pretty slim. Still, NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDCO) stresses the importance of staying always vigilant and prepared. PDCO participates in the regards to identifying and chart the near-Earth objects, it is also responsible for planning efforts of deflection or mitigation.
The news of asteroid 2024 ON has generated considerable excitement in the universe. Scientists working with NASA, alongside researchers at the European Space Agency (ESA) and other universities are starting to figure out just what it is made of. Through this partnership, more information about the materials that make up these solar bodies will be revealed and unveiling the inner working of the early solar system.
NASA is sharing updates and information about 2024 ON, so the public too can keep track of it. The asteroid’s pass, which will be visible from the Northern Hemisphere, will be streamed live by the Virtual Telescope Project.
While the method undertaken by 2024 ON serves as a reminder of why international collaboration is key in matters space exploration and planetary defense. There is growing awareness among countries about the requirement for international cooperation in tackling any near-Earth object (NEO) hazards. For example, missions like the Asteroid Impact & Deflection Assessment (AIDA), a collaborative one involving both NASA and ESA are required to build comprehensive protection strategies.
Scientists and researchers will be tracking 2024 ON and collecting data from it as September 15, 2024 approaches. This work not only keeps us safe, but helps to inform our understanding of the universe and how it has changed. Asteroids like 2024 ON are a key to understanding our solar system and how it formed over billions of years.
Jet Propulsion Laboratory highlights how “the campaign to observe asteroid 2024 ON is ongoing as we try and get more data.
Threats like near-Earth objects “can only be tackled through international cooperation,” the Planetary Defense Coordination Office said.
Astronomers and the media remain interested in the results coming from research on 2024 ON, keeping an eye out for repercussions of advances. Global warming
