A newly discovered asteroid, named 2024 BJ, will pass between the earth and moon on Saturday, January 27, 2024.
The asteroid 2024 BJ will make its closest approach to the earth at 17:29 UTC (or 12:29 p.m. EST) on January 27, 2024, according to NASA. During its closest approach, the distance of the asteroid from the earth will be 220,000 miles (354,000 kilometers).
The airplane-sized asteroid 2024 BJ, with an approximate diameter of 66 feet (20 meters), takes 1.63 years to orbit the sun once. It was discovered on January 17, 2024, according to the data from the Minor Planet Center.
The closest encounter of the asteroid 2024 BJ will be shown on The Virtual Telescope Project livestream from 17:00 UTC (or 12:00 p.m. EST).
2024 BJ is an Apollo-class asteroid, meaning it is a near-Earth asteroid whose orbit crosses Earth’s orbit. So the asteroid comes from the asteroid belt and passes very near to the earth every 1.63 years.
NASA is continuously monitoring these near-Earth asteroids, as they are dangerous for the human race. However, the asteroid 2024 BJ will pose no threat as it will pass a safe distance from the earth.
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