NASA Issues Alert: Newly Discovered Asteroid Has 78% Chance of Impacting Earth on THIS Date

Asteroid

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) recently conducted a hypothetical exercise that revealed a never-before-detected asteroid could have a 72 percent chance of hitting Earth. These findings emerged during the fifth biennial Planetary Defense Interagency Tabletop Exercise. On June 20, NASA released a summary of this exercise. The exercise was organized by NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office in collaboration with FEMA and the U.S. Department of State Office of Space Affairs, aimed at assessing the nation's preparedness and response capabilities in the event of a hazardous asteroid or comet threat.

In a statement, NASA noted, "Although there are no known significant asteroid impact threats for the foreseeable future, hypothetical exercises provide valuable insights by exploring the risks, response options, and opportunities for collaboration posed by varying scenarios, from minor regional damage with little warning to potential global catastrophes predicted years or even decades in the future." The statement further explained, “During the exercise, a hypothetical scenario in which a never-before-detected asteroid was identified. According to initial calculations, there was a 72% chance of it hitting Earth in approximately 14 years."

Regarding the asteroid's size, NASA said, “The preliminary observations described in the exercise were not sufficient to precisely determine the asteroid’s size, composition, and long-term trajectory."

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has listed other asteroids set to pass close to Earth this month. On June 25, two asteroids will pass near Earth: Asteroid 2024 LO5, measuring 62 feet, will pass by at a distance of 1,960,000 kilometers, and Asteroid 2024 KJ, 77 feet in size, will approach at a distance of 5,260,000 kilometers. Later, on June 27, a 64-feet asteroid named 2019 NJ will pass at a distance of 6,610,000 kilometers. Additionally, on the same day, another asteroid, 415029 (2011 UL21), approximately 7,200 feet in size, will make its closest approach to Earth at 6,640,000 kilometers.