Three Asteroids Pass Earth Within 48 Hours, NASA Confirms
WASHINGTON – NASA is tracking three asteroids that made close approaches too Earth this week, including two roughly the size of a bus and a larger object measuring up to 430 meters in length. While none pose an immediate threat, the close succession of flybys highlights ongoing planetary monitoring efforts.
The first asteroid, 2023 VP1, passed Earth on November 18th. NASA reported it came within 266,000 kilometers – less than the distance to the moon – and presented a “very small chance” of a future collision.
on the same day, NASA also tracked 2025 VC4, an asteroid of similar size to VP1. It reached its closest point at approximately 2 million kilometers, a distance considered safe and not categorized as a threat.
A larger asteroid, 3361 Orpheus (1982 HR), with a diameter of up to 430 meters, passed by on Wednesday, November 19th, traveling at roughly 32,000 km/h. experts confirmed this asteroid also maintained a safe distance.
Asteroids are remnants from the solar system’s formation 4.6 billion years ago, with most residing in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Those with orbits bringing them closer to Earth are classified as near-Earth objects (NEOs).
NASA categorizes some NEOs as perhaps hazardous asteroids (PHAs) – those exceeding 140 meters in diameter that approach within 7.4 million kilometers of Earth’s orbit. however, Paul Chodas, CNEOS manager, clarified that the “potentially dangerous” label indicates a possibility of orbital changes over centuries or millennia, not an imminent impact.
“The label ‘potentially dangerous’ only means that over the next centuries or thousands of years, the asteroid’s orbit could change into an orbit that has a chance of hitting Earth. We do not assess the possibility of a long-term impact for hundreds of years,” Chodas told Newsweek.
NASA assures the public that current monitoring technology allows for accurate identification and risk assessment, ensuring planetary security.
