NASA and other space agencies keep monitoring asteroids passing close to Earth in coming years constantly. These asteroids are like huge rocks traveling in space at a very high speed. Sometimes, they pass near the earth. Most asteroids passing close to Earth never pose any danger to our planet. But these asteroids have potential to become a great danger for us. If any asteroid hits the earth, it can cause serious damage to our planet. That’s why scientists always track asteroids very carefully.

Thousands of space objects are found by the scientists near the earth. Some of them will cross the earth’s orbit in coming years. Space agencies like NASA and ESA keep monitoring asteroids passing close to Earth very carefully by using their powerful telescopes, radar systems, and advanced technology. Observing asteroids helps scientists to make early predictions of their arrival. Thanks to our scientists, they evolve our technology to that level where the path of asteroids passing close to Earth is calculated decades or even centuries ahead. In fact, if any asteroid is going to hit the earth, we can stop it in space by using our advanced technology.

In this article I will tell you about some dangerous asteroids passing close to earth in the coming years. Scientists are watching them very carefully.

(99942) Apophis

99942 Apophis is one of the most famous asteroids. It was discovered on June 19, 2004, by astronomers Roy A. Tucker, David J. Tholen, and Fabrizio Bernardi at the Kitt Peak National Observatory. Its diameter is about 340-370 meters, roughly the size of a stadium. This asteroid is very popular because earlier, when it was discovered, scientists announced that it would hit the earth in coming years. This news gained popularity, and it became very popular among the peoples. But after some proper research and calculation of its orbit, scientists claim their initial statement was wrong and confirmed that it will not hit the earth. Apophis will pass very closely to the earth on April 13, 2029. Scientists estimated a rough distance from the earth during its close flyby is around 31600 kilometers. This distance is very close to the earth, even closer than some man-made geostationary satellites that orbit earth. Scientists confirmed that Apophis’s close flyby in 2029 is completely safe. Apophis may even be visible to the naked eye in some parts of the world. People can see it just like a moving star without using a telescope or any other instrument.

Apophis Asteroid 2029 Earth Flyby

(101955) Bennu

101995 Bennu is another famous and large asteroid. It was discovered on September 11, 1999, by the Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research team. Scientists monitor it carefully because sometimes it comes close to the earth. Bennu is a large asteroid around 490-500 meters wide. NASA sent a spacecraft, OSIRIS-Rex, to study Bennu closely in 2016. OSIRIS-Rex arrived at Bennu in 2018, and after collecting its rock and dust samples, it returned to the earth in 2023. It helps scientists to learn more about the asteroids. Bennu’s surface mostly contains rocky material and carbon-rich minerals. Bennu takes 1.2 years (437 days) to complete one orbit around the sun. Scientists’ current research and calculation confirm that it will not become any danger to earth in the future. Like the Apophis, Bennu does not come very close to the earth. But it passes near the earth in 2135. Its approximate distance from the earth is about 300,000 km during its flyby.

(1620) Geographos

Geographos is one of the first asteroids ever studied by using a radar system. It is another famous asteroid passing close to earth. It was discovered on September 14, 1951, by astronomers Albert George Wilson and Rudolph Minkowski at the Palomar Observatory. Geographos has an irregular shape like a stretched potato. It is about 5.1 km long and 1.8 km wide. It takes around 1.39 years (508 days) to complete one orbit around the sun. Geographos crosses earth’s path while it orbits the sun. Scientists study its shape and rotation by using a radar system. Sending radar signals from the earth helps scientists to know about the physical structure of asteroids. Geographos will not pose any threat to our planet in the future.

(3200) Phaethon

Phaethon is one of the most unique asteroids because Phaethon is classified as an asteroid but behaves like a comet. Sometimes it is often described as a rock comet. It was discovered in 1983 by astronomers Simon F. Green and John K. Davies by using NASA’s infrared astronomical satellite (IRAS). It is about 5.8 kilometers wide. It takes about 1.43 years (524 days) to complete one orbit around the sun. This asteroid is also responsible for one of the most famous meteor showers called the Geminid meteor shower. The Phaethon asteroid releases small particles of dust that are responsible for the Geminid meteor shower on earth. The Geminid is the brightest one, and people can see it with the naked eye. It happens each year. NASA’s current observation is “Phaethon will not cause any danger to earth.”

(4179) Toutatis

Toutatis is another large near-earth asteroid that is famous for its strange tumbling rotation. Most other asteroids spin smoothly, but Toutatis rotates in an irregular pattern in space. It was discovered on January 4, 1989, by Christian Pollas. It is about 4.6 km long, 2.4 km wide, and 1.9 km high. It has a strange, elongated, peanut-like shape. The Toutatis asteroid takes about 4.02 years to complete one revolution around the sun. It already made many close approaches to earth in the past. In 2004 it passed near Earth at the distance of about 1.5 million kilometers. According to NASA and other space agencies, Toutatis will not cause any danger to our planet in coming years.

(1036) Ganymed

Ganymede is the largest near-earth asteroid present in space. It was discovered on October 23, 1924, by Walter Baade at Bergedorf Observatory, Hamburg. This asteroid belongs to the Amor group of asteroids. It is about 35 kilometers wide. This asteroid comes near the earth, but it does not cross earth’s path during revolution around the sun. It takes about 4.3 years to complete one revolution around the sun. It is mainly made of rocks. According to current observation, it will not become any danger to our planet in the future.

(433) Eros

Eros is another most-studied asteroid passing close to Earth. It was discovered on August 13, 1898, by astronomers Gustav Witt and Auguste Charlois. It is about 34.4 km long, 11.2 km wide, and 11.2 km high. It has a stretched, potato-like shape. It takes about 1.76 years to complete one orbit around the sun. NASA sent a spacecraft NEAR Shoemaker to study the Eros asteroid. This spacecraft entered the asteroid’s orbit in 2000, and after the investigation, the spacecraft returned to the earth safely in 2001. NEAR Shoemaker was the first spacecraft ever to land on the asteroid. This mission helps the scientists a lot to learn about the structure, composition, and surface properties of Eros. The next Earth flyby of the asteroid Eros will happen on January 24, 2056. During this flyby, scientists expect that it passes at the distance of 22.4 million kilometers from the Earth. Scientists believe that the (433) Eros asteroid will not pose any threat to our planet in the coming years.

(1862) Apollo

Apollo is another asteroid passing close to Earth. Apollo was discovered on April 24, 1932, by astronomer Karl Wilhelm Reinmuth at the Heidelberg Observatory. Apollo is about 1.5 kilometers wide and majorly contains rocky materials. This asteroid is very important because it was the first discovered asteroid whose orbit crosses Earth’s orbit. Apollo takes about 1.78 years to complete one revolution around the sun. Apollo’s orbit crosses Earth’s orbit, so scientists observe it very carefully. But according to current NASA observations, Apollo will not cause any danger to our planet in the coming years. Apollo will make its close approach to Earth on November 13, 2046. During this close flyby, its distance is about 5.28 million kilometers from the earth. It will not cause any danger during this flyby. It is completely safe.

(214869) 2007 PA8

It is another large asteroid passing close to Earth in the future. It was discovered in 2007 by the astronomers working on the LINEAR project. It is about 1.3 kilometers wide. It takes about 4.75-4.82 years to complete one orbit around the sun. This asteroid belongs to the Apollo group of asteroids. Its orbit crosses Earth’s orbit. 2007 PA8 makes its notable close approach to earth in November 5, 2012.During this flyby, it passed earth at a distance of 6.5 million kilometers from the earth. It will make another close fly to earth on October 26, 2029, at a distance of 6-7 million kilometers from the earth. NASA confirms that it will not cause any danger to our planet. It is another asteroid passing close to earth safely.

Conclusion

These are some of the most famous and dangerous asteroids passing close to earth. With the help of modern technology, scientists track thousands of asteroids that make safe approaches to Earth. Scientists monitor them very carefully because they are the matter of our planet’s safety. If any of them hits the earth, we have to face many disasters. But most asteroids passing close to earth will fly safely. With the efforts of many years, scientists evolve our technology to a higher level. Now scientists can predict the future flyby of any asteroid and even its distance from the earth by calculating its orbit. Now humanity is better prepared to detect asteroids passing close to earth.