Stadium-sized asteroids headed towards Earth

The year 2020, is seeing multiple incidents from lockdowns due to COVID-19, death of migrants to killer super cyclones.

Now, as per media reports quoting American space agency NASA, at least five Near-Earth Objects or NEOs or asteroids are headed in the direction of Earth on June 5 and June 6. Meanwhile, scientists have stressed that it poses no danger to the planet.

The details about each asteroids are:

• ASTEROID 2002 NN4: The largest space boulder, asteroid 163348 (2002 NN4) that will breach the Minimum Orbit Intersection Distance (MOID) of 0.05 AU (7.48 million kilometres). This asteroid will make its closest approach to Earth on June 6, at 3:20 AM UTC. This is also referred to as particularly the deadliest, because of it diameter which is 570 metres and relative velocity of 40,140 kmph.

However, the earth is safe as it will be at a distance of over 13x the average distance between Earth and the moon.

• ASTEROID 2013 XA22: The next in line is asteroid 2013 XA22, which will pass the earth on Monday, June 8 at 3:40PM UTC. This asteroid is a far smaller space rock with a diameter of 160 metres with relative velocity of 24,050 kmph.
• ASTEROID 2010 NY65: This asteroid 441987 (2010 NY65) has been discovered a decade ago. It will cross Earth on Wednesday, June 24, at 6:44 AM UTC. The asteroid will have the highest relative velocity of 46,400 kmph.