NASA alerts as airplane-sized asteroid zooms past Earth this week
What's the story
NASA has confirmed that a massive asteroid, dubbed 2025 QV9, is hurtling toward Earth. The space rock, which is about the size of an airplane, will make its closest approach to our planet on September 10. The celestial object measures roughly 100 feet (33m) in width and is traveling at a staggering speed of over 16,000km/h.
Close encounter
Asteroid belongs to Aten group of space rocks
Asteroid 2025 QV9 is expected to make its closest approach to Earth on Thursday, as per NASA's Asteroid Watch tracker. It will come within a distance of around two million kilometers from our planet. While this may sound like a safe distance, space experts consider it relatively close in astronomical terms. This asteroid belongs to the Aten group of space rocks that frequently cross Earth's orbit.
No danger
NASA says asteroid poses no threat to Earth
Despite its close approach, asteroid 2025 QV9 poses no threat to Earth. NASA classifies an object as hazardous if it comes within 7.4 million kilometers of our planet and is wider than 85 meters. Scientists are keeping a close watch on it for any potential orbital changes that could occur in the future. A slight shift in an asteroid's path could have major implications, which is why agencies remain vigilant.