Many asteroids have flown past Earth this month, and once again, a large asteroid named 2011 MW1 is approaching at blistering speeds of 28,946 kmph. According to the alert released on July 23, NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) informs that an Apollo-class asteroid of almost 400 ft will be closer to Earth – at a safe distance of about 2.4 million miles – today.
NASA Warning and Classification
NASA has labeled this asteroid as a Near-Earth Object (NEA) and also warned about it. Despite being so close to Earth, 2011 MW1 is not classified under the category of Potentially Hazardous Object (PHO). NASA classifies any asteroid considered potentially dangerous by its size or nearness to Earth orbits, typically within 4.6 million miles and capable of causing significant regional damage.
NASA Tracking and Monitoring
As it travels, PDC 2018 is being tracked by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) of NASA, which operates CNEOS. CNEOS computes high-precision orbits for all known near-Earth objects (NEOs), predicts their close approaches to Earth, and makes long-term impact probability assessments. These efforts help NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office in protecting the Earth from possible asteroid impacts.
The Significance of Asteroids
Asteroids, such as 2011 MW1, are remnants from the early solar system formation process of about 4.6 billion years ago. The solar nebula scenario describes a rotating cloud of gas and dust where gravity coalesced this material to produce the Sun, while small loose particles collided together and formed asteroids. Most asteroids are located in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. They help us learn about materials in our solar system and how it may have come into existence. Certain asteroids have resources such as metal or water that could be mined for use both in space and on Earth to support future exploration activities.
NASA Asteroid Missions
NASA has undertaken a number of missions to study and observe asteroids. These include:
- PAN-STARRS (Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System): A series of telescopes that survey the sky to find near-Earth objects.
- Catalina Sky Survey: A project to discover and track near-Earth objects.
- NEOWISE Mission: Originally the WISE mission, NEOWISE became a space-based infrared-wavelength telescope designed to look for asteroids and comets that could be an impact hazard to Earth.
- NEO Surveyor: An upcoming mission to improve NASA’s ability to detect and track near-Earth objects as potential threats.
Future Implications
These perihelion passes, while not an immediate danger for the inner planets, emphasize the continuing requirement to track and study Near-Earth Objects. These efforts contribute to understanding our solar system and improving calculations for future potential asteroid impacts. Knowledge acquired from these studies could also spawn the potential of asteroid mining to provide resources for space exploration and economic activities on Earth.
As we keep watching the sky, it will be important to stay apace of technological developments and increasing knowledge about near-Earth objects to protect both our planet and future missions into space.
