5 asteroids that came close to Earth in January, 2022
What's the story
The Netflix offering Don't Look Up starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence, probably left you a little scared. But do you know that in 2022, Earth has already had at least five Don't Look Up moments? Well, technically the film was about a comet, and we will talk about asteroids. Let's take a look at these extraterrestrial objects that came near Earth.
Context
Why does it matter?
A report in Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), a research development lab funded by NASA, had reported about these extraterrestrial objects through its Asteroid Watch dashboard. It tracks comets and asteroids that are expected to come close to Earth. Thankfully, none of these asteroids posed a risk to our planet, and the chances of any such event happening in the next century are zero.
Number 1
Asteroid 2021 YQ
The first asteroid was named 2021 YQ. It was equivalent to a large commercial flight and had a diameter of 200 feet or 61 meters. It came near the Earth on January 05, 2022. It came approximately within 1,330,000 miles of Earth's orbit. The last time it has approached our planet was in 1902, and its next visit date is not yet known.
Number 2
Asteroid 2021 YX
This asteroid also approached Earth on January 05, 2022. It was 2,390,000 miles away though. The 100 feet wide huge stone was slightly smaller than a commercial jet. As per JPL's report, this was Asteroid 2021 YX's maiden visit toward Earth. P.S. NASA tracks around 60K asteroids that appear nearer to Earth and keeps an eye on 1,000 potentially dangerous ones.
Number 3
Asteroid 2014 YE15
This one was the size of a bus and approached the planet's surface on January 06, 2022. It stayed at a distance of around 4,600,000 miles from orbit. Asteroid 2014 YE15 is the most returning asteroid to Earth and has paid a visit every year since 1905. JPL reports say that its next visit is scheduled for May this year.
Number 4
Asteroid 2020 AP1
Asteroid 2020 AP1 approached our planet on January 07, 2022, and stood at a distance of 1,080,000 miles away. Of the five asteroids, it came closest to the Earth. However, it was also the smallest of all, equivalent to the size of a car. Its last visit was in January 2020 and it will make its way toward Earth again in January 2024.
Number 5
Asteroid 2013 YD48
On January 11, this asteroid swooped past the Earth and stood at a distance of 3,480,000 miles away from Earth. It is a humongous piece of rock measuring 340 ft tall and bigger than London's Big Ben, which stands at 315 ft. Its last visit to Earth was in March 2014 and it is expected to return in 2030.