This week, five asteroids classified as “potentially hazardous” (PHA) will approach Earth at a distance of less than 7.4 million kilometers. NASA experts have confirmed that none of them will threaten the planet in the next 100 years.
Today, asteroid 2025 KT1 with a diameter of 12.8 meters will fly 1.9 million km from Earth. It will be followed by 2025 JP (27 m) at 5.1 million km on May 27, and 2025 KW, 2025 JR and 2025 KU1 on May 28. For comparison, on May 23, asteroid 2025 KH, measuring 11 m, passed at a speed of 40,234 km / h at 1.1 million km from the planet.
A screenshot of the interactive asteroid map. Source: NASA
According to USA Today, NASA telescopes detect more than 3,000 near-Earth objects (NEAs) each year. Only those approaching closer than 7.4 million kilometers pose a threat. In February, the probability of asteroid 2024 YR4 (61 m) colliding with the Moon in 2032 decreased from 3.1% to 0.004%.
Scientists remind: 66 million years ago, an asteroid with a diameter of 10 kilometers left a crater Chicxulub (Chicxulub), causing a mass extinction. Such events, according to NASA estimates, occur once every 10,000 years. The largest known asteroid is Ceres (radius 476 km). If you compare the Earth to a coin, Ceres would be the size of a poppy seed.
NASA continues to track near-Earth objects. The next notable approach to PHA is expected in 2032. The agency emphasizes: even with a hypothetical threat, modern technology can prevent a catastrophe.
