NASA Warns Of Potential Danger From 150-Foot Asteroid Approaching Earth On April 6

NASA has detected a massive asteroid expected to approach Earth on April 6, 2023. The space agency has classified the asteroid as a potentially hazardous object (PHO) due to its size and proximity to our planet.

The asteroid, officially named 2023 QL1, has an estimated diameter of about 150 feet, making it larger than the Statue of Liberty. It is currently traveling at a speed of about 25,000 miles per hour and orbits the Sun every 1.4 years.

According to NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS), 2023 QL1 will fly past Earth at a distance of about 2.7 million miles, equivalent to 11 times the distance between Earth and the Moon. Although this may seem far away, it is considered close enough for an asteroid of this size to be classified as a PHO.

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Watch April 4 7:40am ET (1140 UTC) https://t.co/VeXvxHcPdT pic.twitter.com/FKHv5M6Jdc

— NASA (@NASA) April 3, 2023

PHOs are asteroids or comets with orbits that bring them within 4.6 million miles of Earth’s orbit and have a diameter of at least 500 feet. These objects pose a threat to Earth because they can be affected by gravitational forces from other planets or celestial bodies, which can alter their trajectories and cause them to collide with Earth.

Fortunately, NASA has assured that there is no risk of impact from 2023 QL1 or any other known PHO in the foreseeable future. The space agency monitors and tracks these objects using various telescopes and radar systems worldwide. It also conducts studies and simulations to determine the potential effects and mitigation strategies for possible asteroid impacts.

2023 FZ3: Massive 150-Foot Asteroid Approaching Earth On April 6, Warns NASA
The 150-foot-wide rock which is hurtling towards Earth at a speed of 67656 kmph will make its closest approach to Earth at a distance of 4,190,000 km. pic.twitter.com/i1ll7B7rRT

— News Bell (@NewsBellApp) April 4, 2023

NASA collaborates with other space agencies and organizations to improve its asteroid detection and deflection capabilities.

One of its upcoming missions is the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART), which aims to demonstrate the feasibility of changing the orbit of an asteroid by crashing a spacecraft into it. The mission is scheduled to launch in November 2021, targeting a small moonlet of a binary asteroid system called Didymos.

By studying and testing different methods of asteroid deflection, NASA hopes to enhance its planetary defense system and prepare for future threats from PHOs. As for 2023 QL1, the asteroid will make another close approach to Earth on April 5, 2031, but at a much farther distance of about 13 million miles.