NASA Warns of 260-Foot Asteroid Racing Towards Earth At 33089 KMPH | Here's What You Should Know

Science News: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has issued an alert regarding a 260-foot-wide asteroid that is set to make a close approach to Earth by February 20. 

The asteroid, 2016 AX165 will approach earth’s nearest point at 8:04 AM IST, according to space agency. “However it will be a safe distance,” officials said. 

NASA said situation is being monitored closely due to its significant size and speed.

Asteroid 2016AX165: Size, And Speed

The asteroid is 260 feet in diameter and is categorised as a Near-Earth Object. Measuring 260 feet (79 meters) in diameter, 2016 AX165 is categorised as a Near-Earth Object (NEO). 

According to NASA, asteroid will travel at an astonishing 33,089 km/h as it approaches within 5,720,000 kilometres of our planet. 

While this distance is over 14 times the gap between Earth and the Moon, it is still considered relatively close in astronomical terms.

Why NASA Monitoring Asteroid 2016AX165

Near-Earth Objects, or NEOs, represent potentially catastrophic threats to our planet. 

“A near-Earth object is an asteroid or comet which passes close to the Earth's orbit. In technical terms, a NEO is considered to have a trajectory which brings it within 1.3 astronomical units of the Sun and hence within 0.3 astronomical units, or approximately 45 million kilometres, of the Earth's orbit,” NASA said.

The space agency mentioned that continuous monitoring ensures accurate trajectory predictions and contributes to the defence efforts of earth.