Four asteroids to pass close to Earth today; all you need to know

On April 25, four asteroids will pass very close to Earth, two of which are quite large, almost resembling an airplane. The asteroids, code-named 2023 HW2 and 2023 HL2, are 90 feet and 88 feet long, respectively. Although it may feel like asteroids pose a threat to the survival of our planet, it is worth noting that not all asteroids pose a serious threat to the living. Only those asteroids that are too large and have a high probability of colliding with Earth pose a real threat to the planet.

Also Read: 'Enough to wipe a city', catastrophic asteroid set to narrowly pass by Earth

Four asteroids approaching Earth

Asteroid 2023 HW2: As per NASA, Asteroid 2023 HW is 90 feet long and is moving at a speed of 41940 kilometers per hour. The asteroid will be at a distance of 2.30 million kilometers from Earth on Tuesday.

Asteroid 2023 HL2: The 88 feet long 2023 HL2 asteroid will be around 6.88 million kilometers from Earth. It is currently moving at a speed of 33516 kilometers per hour.

Other two asteroids: The other two asteroids approaching the Earth on April 25 are much smaller and have been codenamed 2023 GO1 and 2023 HH3.

Potential impact 

In order to tackle potential asteroid impacts on Earth, NASA has already conducted tests on its DART Mission for planetary protection. By crashing a spacecraft into an oncoming asteroid, the space agency successfully diverted it from its path. 

Also Read: Nasa's telescope detects asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter

NASA also monitors the movement, speed, and proximity of asteroids to Earth using its telescopes and observatories like NEOWISE. The US space agency also uses ground-based telescopes such as Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), situated in the Antofagasta Region of Atacama Desert in Chile.

European Space Agency (ESA) is also preparing to develop an early warning system for dangerous asteroids. The system, named NEOMIR (Near-Earth Object Mission in the InfraRed), will orbit at the L1 Lagrange Point between the Earth and the Sun.