Stadium-Sized Asteroid Deemed 'Potentially Hazardous' by NASA, Expected to Pass 'Relatively Close' to Earth

NASA is keeping a close eye on a stadium-sized asteroid, named 2024 ON, that zipped by Earth on Tuesday. While it sounds like the plot of a blockbuster movie, this rocky giant posed no real threat to our planet. But hey, it still managed to get everyone’s attention.

The asteroid, measuring a whopping 1,150 feet by 590 feet, came within 621,000 miles of Earth. Now, in cosmic terms, that’s like brushing shoulders. According to Davide Farnocchia, a navigation engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, large asteroids coming this close only happen every five to ten years. So, yes, it’s a bit of a space celebrity moment.

Farnocchia also reminded us that Earth hasn’t been hit by an asteroid this size since prehistoric times. The last notable meteor event was back in 2013 over Russia, where a meteor exploded in the atmosphere, breaking windows and hearts (okay, maybe not hearts, but it was dramatic).

Despite being categorized as a "potentially hazardous object," Farnocchia reassured everyone that there’s no chance of 2024 ON crashing into Earth – not now, not even in the next hundred years. To actually worry about it, the asteroid would need to be within a couple of hundred miles. So, for now, we can all breathe easy and just marvel at the science.

The asteroid is part of a group of five space rocks making their rounds by Earth this week. But don’t let the numbers fool you – the other four are much smaller and far less impressive, with distances ranging between 1.1 and 3.9 million miles. One of them, named 2013 FW13, is the size of a skyscraper but still keeps its distance like a polite neighbor.

NASA’s Asteroid Watch Dashboard tracks these celestial wanderers, recording their closest approach, size, and speed. For context, 2024 ON was traveling at a jaw-dropping 20,000 miles per hour on Tuesday morning. Imagine the speeding ticket for that!

Asteroids like 2024 ON are a reminder of the dynamic and sometimes nerve-wracking nature of our universe. But for now, Earth remains safe, and space enthusiasts get their dose of excitement without the drama of an extinction-level event. Let’s just hope these rocks continue to keep their respectful distance.