Giant stadium-sized asteroid will pass Earth tomorrow | Everything you need to know | World News

NASA is monitoring a “giant” asteroid that is scheduled to pass close to Earth on Tuesday. Scientists closely monitoring the asteroid are adamant that it poses no threat.

The asteroid is called 447755 (2007 JX2), a name given to it by the scientists tracking it.

Here’s what you need to know about it:

(1.) According to data presented by various sources, this asteroid is as huge as a 1300-foot-tall stadium.

(2.) It travels through space at a “staggering” speed of 44,000 km/hr.

(3.) Once it passes Earth, it will be 4:46 a.m. on Tuesday in India.

(4.) The distance of the asteroid from Earth would be 5.5 million (55 million) kilometers, more than 14 times the distance between Earth and the Moon.

(5.) 5.5 million kilometers is still a pretty close distance, but it’s a “safe” distance from a cosmic perspective.

(6.) Although there is no danger to Earth, NASA wants to study this asteroid because of its huge size and the path it travels.

(7.) Such close encounters with large asteroids occur once every 5 to 10 years.

How NASA tracks asteroids: For this reason, the US space agency uses the ‘Asteroid Watch Dashboard’ to monitor asteroids’ speed, direction, and distance. This system helps ensure that scientists are aware of potential risks.

It also features a DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) mission that can divert asteroids from their path if necessary.