Multiple space rocks have passed by Earth since the starting of 2022, however the one approaching tomorrow is the biggest to date! Asteroid 1989 JA, which is approximated to be nearly 2 kilometres wide, or twice as big as Burj Khalifa, will fly by our planet at a speed of 40,24,182 kilometres per hour.
The largest asteroid to approach Earth this year will reach its closest point on Friday, May 27, 2022—and you can watch it happen. https://t.co/4x29rB1hZW
— Forbes (@Forbes) May 26, 2022
The Virtual Telescope previously posted a depiction of the asteroid speeding through darkness of space.As per NASA, there are nearly 29,000 known near-Earth asteroids, but the 1989 JA is one of only 878 asteroids that are at least 3,280 feet wide.
This space rock was observed in 1989 by astronomer Eleanor Helin of the Palomar Observatory in California. Experts and experts claim that this is the largest asteroid that will pass close to Earth in 2022. Its next flight is unlikely to take place before June 23, 2055.
Asteroid four times the size of the Empire State Building barreling toward Earth on May 27 https://t.co/Yq2Mmk0Syw pic.twitter.com/a0DfRkpr6x
— SPACE.com (@SPACEdotcom) May 24, 2022
On Friday, 1989, JA will be approximately 4 million kilometres from Earth, 10 to 15 times the proximity between both Earth and Moon. This space rock, however, will be nearer to our world than it’s ever been.
7335 (1989 JA) also belongs to the Apollo-class of asteroids, which are asteroids that revolve around the sun while periodically crossing Earth’s orbit. This asteroid is one of Earth objects (NEOs) monitored by NASA each year. NEOs are astronomical objects that cross within 30 million miles (48 million kilometres) of Earth’s orbit.