Over the last few years, there have been several instances where asteroids have come very close to our planet, posing a significant potential threat. One of the earliest known asteroid impacts on Earth is around 4.5 billion years old. That was when a massive object called Theia, about the size of Mars, collided with Earth and resulted in the formation of the Moon. Another asteroid crashed in the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico nearly 65 million years ago, and it wiped out the dinosaurs. The most recent asteroid impact happened just a decade ago when an asteroid exploded over the city of Chelyabinsk in 2013.
Asteroid 2023 HH7 details
NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office is responsible for monitoring the skies and keeping a watch on various Near-Earth Objects (NEOs). The organization has issued a warning against an asteroid designated as Asteroid 2023 HH7. This Near-Earth Asteroid (NEA) is expected to make its closest approach to Earth today, May 4.
Whilst this asteroid will come very close to the planet, it is not expected to impact the surface. According to NASA, Asteroid 2023 HH7 will pass by Earth at a distance of 839,000 kilometers. It is already on its way towards the planet, travelling at a blistering speed of 88396 kilometers per hour.
Asteroid 2023 HH7 belongs to the Apollo group of asteroids and is almost 88 feet wide, which makes it as big as an airplane!