Rocks from Space: Two Asteroids to Fly By Earth

Two space rocks are heading towards Earth. One is about the size of a car. The other is roughly the size of a large airplane. Both are expected to pass by Earth on the same day. The smaller one will zoom by in the morning. The larger one will make its appearance in the afternoon. The car-sized asteroid, labeled 2025 FM18, is estimated to be about 15 feet across. It will fly past Earth at a speed of around 28, 655 miles per hour. Its closest approach will be approximately 172, 000 miles from our planet. This distance is roughly 70% of the way from Earth to the Moon. The larger asteroid, named 2025 FP6, is estimated to be around 79 feet across. It will pass by Earth at a much greater distance of about 4. 6 million miles. This is roughly 19 times the distance from Earth to the Moon.

Asteroids are small, rocky bodies that formed around 4. 6 billion years ago. They are remnants from the early solar system. Most asteroids orbit the Sun in the main asteroid belt, located between Mars and Jupiter. However, some asteroids, known as near-Earth objects (NEOs), have orbits that bring them close to Earth. These NEOs range in size from about 10 feet to nearly 25 miles across. Most NEOs pose no threat to Earth. Their orbits do not bring them close enough to our planet. However, a small portion of NEOs, known as potentially hazardous asteroids (PHAs), do require closer observation. PHAs are around 460 feet in size and have orbits that can bring them within 4. 6 million miles of Earth's orbit. In February, NASA tracked an asteroid named 2024 YR4. Initially, it had a 3. 1% chance of impacting Earth in 2032. This was the highest impact probability ever recorded for an object of this size. However, further studies reduced the impact probability to 0. 004%. NASA stated that there is no significant potential for this asteroid to impact Earth for the next century. However, there is a very small chance that it could impact the Moon.

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