NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory recently released data on five asteroids that will make close passes to Earth in May. One of these asteroids, 2023 HG1, is currently rushing towards our planet at 7200 kilometres per hour (2 kilometres per second) and is predicted to be the size of a home. It is expected to pass within 2,590,000 miles (4,160,000 km) of Earth on May 9, 2023, with a diameter of 60 feet (18 metres).
Asteroid 2023 HG1 Hurtling towards Earth – Highlights
According to NASA, or the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, asteroids are relics of our solar system’s formation, which began around 4.6 billion years ago when a massive cloud of gas and dust imploded. During this event, most of the substance in the cloud condensed towards the centre to become the sun, while part of the dust in the cloud compressed to form planets.
However, objects in the asteroid belt, which lies between Mars and Jupiter, did not form into planets and remained as remnants of the planet-formation epoch. Notably, not all asteroids are the same size and shape because they formed in different places, at different distances from the sun. As a result, each asteroid is distinct in its own manner. Asteroids, unlike planets, have rough and irregular surfaces rather than a uniform, smooth surface.
While some asteroids might be hundreds of kilometres in diameter, the vast majority are as small as pebbles. Furthermore, most asteroids are composed of various types of rocks, but some may contain clays or metals such as nickel and iron.
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