Massive asteroid, nearly size of stadium, to fly by tomorrow
What's the story
A massive asteroid, nearly the size of a stadium, is set to fly past Earth this week. The celestial body, dubbed asteroid 2005 VO5, will make its closest approach on Thursday, July 11. NASA has revealed that the space rock is about 1,200 feet wide and will come within a distance of 3.78 million kilometers at its closest point.
Speed details
Asteroid 2005 VO5 belongs to Aten group
Asteroid 2005 VO5 is hurtling through space at a whopping speed of approximately 51,762km/h. It belongs to the Aten group of asteroids, which are known to cross Earth's orbit while circling the Sun. Despite its size, NASA has confirmed that this flyby poses no threat to our planet as it doesn't meet the criteria for being classified as hazardous.
Hazardous classification
What makes an asteroid 'hazardous?'
For an asteroid to be classified as hazardous, it must come within 7.4 million kilometers and be wider than 85 meters. While 2005 VO5 meets the size requirement, its distance from Earth ensures no danger. However, experts still consider it important to monitor such objects as even slight changes in their orbit could impact future trajectories.
Planetary defense
ISRO is also tracking the asteroid
India's space agency, Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), is also keeping a close watch on asteroid 2005 VO5. Its former Chairman, S. Somanath, has emphasized the importance of planetary defense and plans to keep an eye on Apophis, a much larger asteroid due in 2029. ISRO hopes to collaborate with NASA, JAXA, and the European Space Agency (ESA) in these efforts for better preparedness against potential space threats.