Earth to Witness Rare Encounter with 5 Asteroids, Including One Stadium-Sized Giant

This week, Earth is facing the potential threat of an asteroid the size of a sports stadium, along with four other celestial near-misses. The largest of these, Asteroid 2008 OS7, measuring about 890 feet in diameter according to NASA, is expected to make its closest approach on February 2, passing within 1.77 million miles of Earth. Although there is no risk of impact, the proximity is noteworthy enough to be tracked on NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Asteroid Watch website.

As part of this week's celestial events, another asteroid, 2024 AU4, described as "building-size" with an approximate diameter of 260 feet, will pass by Earth on Sunday. The closest point of its approach is expected to be approximately 3.92 million miles, adding to the series of close encounters with celestial bodies within a short timeframe.

Following the passage of 2024 AU4 on Sunday another asteroid, 2007 EG, described as "airplane-size," is expected to pass by Earth on Tuesday. This asteroid, with an approximate size, is anticipated to come within a distance of around 3.8 million miles. 

The sequence of these celestial events underscores a week with multiple close encounters with asteroids, emphasizing the dynamic nature of space and the need for ongoing monitoring and observation of near-Earth objects.

According to NASA, “The majority of near-Earth objects have orbits that don’t bring them very close to Earth, and therefore pose no risk of impact, but a small fraction of them – called potentially hazardous asteroids – require more attention.”

NASA categorizes "potentially hazardous objects" (PHO) as asteroids and comets larger than 500 feet that are predicted to come within 4.7 million miles of Earth. These are objects that, due to their size and proximity, may pose a potential risk of impacting Earth.

In December, NASA launched OSIRIS-REx Follow-On Sample Return (OSIRIS-APEX) to study the asteroid Apophis, often referred to as the "God of Chaos." Apophis is a sizable asteroid measuring approximately 370 yards across. It is expected to make a remarkably close pass by Earth at a distance of only 20,000 miles in 2029. The OSIRIS-APEX mission aims to gather valuable data about Apophis, enhancing our understanding of potentially hazardous celestial bodies and improving our ability to assess and mitigate potential risks in the future.

According to NASA, the close pass of an asteroid like Apophis, coming within 20,000 miles of Earth in 2029, is an event that "hasn't happened since the dawn of recorded history." This proximity is indeed an unusual occurrence, and the OSIRIS-APEX mission, launched by NASA in December, is geared towards studying Apophis to gain crucial insights into its composition, structure, and trajectory.

While The Post reached out to NASA for comment, there has been no immediate response. Monitoring and studying near-Earth objects are integral aspects of space agencies' efforts to understand and potentially mitigate any risks associated with celestial bodies that come in close proximity to our planet.