Four asteroids to approach uncomfortably close to Earth on January 10 | Science News

An illustration of a Near Earth Object. (Image Credit: Bing Image Creator).

On January 10, 2024, four asteroids will make a close approach to the Earth. While three of these are roughly the size of a house, one is larger and is about the size of a jumbo jet. 2023 XT14 will approach within 12 times the distance between the Earth and the Moon, or the lunar distance, and will zip past at 6.37 kilometres per second. 2024 AU1 is the largest, but also the most distant near approach, hurtling past the planet at 18.15 kilometres per second, and approaching within 18 times the lunar distance.

2024 AN1 will zip past at 7.92 kilometres per second, and will make the closest approach among the four asteroids visiting the Earth, at four times the lunar distance. Finally, 2023 YO1 will fly past at 3.02 kilometres per second, making it the slowest of the visitors, approaching within seven times the lunar distance. The designations of the asteroids indicate the years in which they were discovered. All the four asteroids making a close approach on January 10, are classified as Apollos, which are asteroids with an orbit around the Sun that is larger than that of the Earth, but one that intersects with the orbit of the Earth.

NASA is developing the technologies required to prevent a catastrophic asteroid collision, and has demonstrated the capabilities of deflecting an asteroid with the DART kinetic impactor in late 2022, which was essentially a minivan sized spacecraft ramming itself into an asteroid. The current lead time for mounting such a mission is between five and ten years. The earlier we spot on asteroid on a collision course with the Earth, the lesser energy is required to push it to a safer trajectory, which is why it is important to track asteroids. NASA is developing additional technologies for planetary defence purposes, including gravity tractors, ion beam shepherds, and if all else fails, good old nukes.