A large asteroid will fly by Earth on Tuesday, according to NASA.

Get Ready for a Close Encounter: Airliner-Sized Asteroid to Pass by Earth

Hold on to your seats, folks! NASA has announced that an asteroid the size of an airliner will be passing close to Earth on Tuesday. The 200-foot asteroid, named 2023 JD2, will come within 3.5 million miles of our planet, which is relatively close in terms of space.

Potentially Hazardous Object

According to NASA’s Asteroid Watch, objects larger than 150 feet that pass within 4.6 million miles of Earth are considered potentially hazardous. However, there is little to no danger of 2023 JD2 hitting Earth, unless an unforeseen force knocks it off course.

Another Near Pass By

But wait, there’s more! On the same day, a smaller 46-foot asteroid, about the size of a house, will also make a near pass by Earth. This asteroid, named 2023 JO1, is estimated to pass within 1.86 million miles of our planet.

Near-Earth Objects

Both asteroids fall under the classification of near-Earth objects, which NASA defines as “comets and asteroids that have been nudged by the gravitational attraction of nearby planets into orbits that allow them to enter the Earth’s neighborhood.”

City Killer

2023 JD2 is similar in size to another asteroid, 2023 DZ2, which passed close by Earth in June. Estimated to be between 140 and 310 feet long, 2023 DZ2 was large enough to take out an entire city, earning it the nickname “city killer.”

What Are Asteroids?

Asteroids are relatively small and inactive objects that orbit the sun, typically inside the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Occasionally, asteroids will take an orbit that brings them deep inside the solar system, putting them on a possible collision course with Earth. They are composed of rock, dust, or metallic materials.

Stay tuned for more updates on these exciting celestial events!

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