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Nasa tracks two large asteroids approaching Earth at more than 30,000 kmph

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Centre for Near-Earth Objects (NEO) maintains a list of objects that may come close to Earth to understand the potential risk they pose

BS Web Team New Delhi
NASA

(Photo: Twitter/@NASA)

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National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) telescopes have found two 120-feet asteroids coming closer to the Earth, HT Tech reported. Asteroids are celestial bodies that came into existence during the early formation of the solar system. They are primarily found in the asteroid belt, a cluster of rocks between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
However, asteroids are also found outside the asteroid belt and moving at fast speeds they can come very close to Earth. In case of a strike, asteroids can be very dangerous.

Two such asteroids, named 2023JK, around 120 feet in size travelling at a speed of 33,420 kilometres per hour and 2023 JD4, around the same size but travelling faster at a speed of 37,141 kilometres per hour are approaching Earth, the report said.
At their closest distance from Earth, 2023JK will pass from a distance of around a million miles away from the Earth. On the other hand, the other asteroid, 2023 JD4 will pass from a distance of around two million miles.

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Centre for Near-Earth Objects (NEO) maintains a list of objects that may come close to Earth to understand the potential risk they pose.
Citing Nasa's JPL, the HT Tech report said that space rocks larger than 150 metres and approaching within 4.6 million miles of Earth are considered "potentially hazardous objects".

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First Published: May 22 2023 | 2:10 PM IST

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