Nasa issues alert for stadium-sized asteroid approaching Earth

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

Nasa has issued an alert for a stadium-sized asteroid set to make a close approach to Earth on Tuesday.

The 2024 ON asteroid measures 290 metres (950 feet) across and will come within 1 million km of Earth, according to the US space agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

The space rock last made a pass of Earth in 2013, and will make another approach in 2035, according to Nasa’s data.

The object was first spotted by Nasa’s Near-Earth Object (NEO) Observations Program, which uses observatories around the world to detect undiscovered NEOs.

It is being tracked by the Virtual Telescope Project, which captured the “potentially hazardous” asteroid on 9 September travelling at around 40,000 kilometres per hour.

Reaching a minimum distance that is 2.6 times the average lunar distance, 2024 ON poses no risk to Earth on its current trajectory, however even a small deviation could have major consequences.

The asteroid’s massive size makes it 99 per cent larger than any other near-Earth objects, but will not pass close enough to see without a telescope.

On the same day as its closest approach to Earth, skygazers will instead be able to see a rare partial lunar eclipse coincide with a supermoon full Moon.

The celestial spectacle will be visible throughout Europe and Africa, with viewings also possible in parts of North and South America, as well as Asia.

Later in the month, a smaller asteroid will become a temporary “mini moon” as it is pulled into orbit around Earth for two months.

The 2024 PT5 asteroid measures only 10 metres across, according to a new study published in the scientific journal Research Notes of the AAS, and once formed part of the Moon.

It will remain within Earth’s orbit from 29 September until 25 November, according to the study.