‘City killer’ asteroid is one of FOUR ‘potentially hazardous’ space rocks set to skim past Earth today, NASA warns

If one ‘city killer’ asteroid skimming past Earth seems like enough of a worry, NASA’s latest warning might be quite distressing.

Today, four ‘potentially hazardous’ space rocks will careen by Earth within less than 12 hours of each other.

This includes two aeroplane-sized space rocks which were only spotted earlier this month.

The biggest of them all, asteroid 2002 NV16, measures 580ft (177m) across and packs enough destructive force to level a city or trigger a worldwide catastrophe.

Although it won’t be visible to the naked eye, scientists will be watching carefully as this massive rock passes overhead at 16:51 BST this afternoon. 

Thankfully, experts say that we have absolutely no reason to worry about this quartet of space rocks. 

Finn Burridge, astronomer a the Royal Observatory Greenwich, told MailOnline: ‘Scientists can calculate the orbits of Near Earth Objects to a high precision when they get bright enough to spot and so we know for certain that none of the objects passing Earth today could collide with the planet.’

Mr Burridge says: ‘Today is unusual in that we have 7 asteroids all making a close approach within a small timescale, but there is almost always an asteroid wandering somewhere near the Earth.’

However, only four of those asteroids are considered by NASA to be ‘potentially hazardous’. 

The first of those asteroids to reach Earth is 2015 HM1, which already whizzed by at 05:36 BST this morning.

At that time, the rock reached a minimum distance of 3.4 million miles (5.5 million km) from Earth.

This is also the smallest of the set, measuring only 100ft (30m) across – about the length of two cargo trucks.

That was shortly followed by the asteroid 2024 TP17 which reached its closest point to Earth at 09:20 BST.

At 170ft (52m) across, 2024 TP17 is the second largest of the asteroids passing Earth today.

While that might not sound too big, it would rank among some of the most dangerous asteroids that have ever hit Earth.

Of the four asteroids passing by Earth today, none will pose a threat to the planet. Even the closest will only reach a distance of 2.8 million miles (4.5 million km) from Earth (stock image) 

In 1908, during the ‘Tunguska Event’, an asteroid 30ft smaller than 2024 TP17 exploded with the force of a nuclear bomb over Russia and flattened over 830 square miles of trees.

Thankfully, there is no risk of a similar disaster today as the asteroid safely passed by at a distance of 2.9 million miles (4.7 million km).

The last two asteroids to arrive, 2002 NV16 and 2024 TR6, are due to reach our planet within just four minutes of each other.

The first of the pair, 2002 NV16, is also the largest and measures 580ft (177m) across, making it taller than the Statue of Liberty or Blackpool Tower.

While this isn’t big enough to wipe out life on Earth, it does class as a ‘city killer’ – meaning it has the potential to devastate a large populated area.

Mr Burridge says: ‘Near 200m is a large asteroid, and a direct hit on a city from an asteroid this large would be very bad news.

‘However, it would have to impact the Earth near a large population centre to be dangerous. If it fell into the Pacific Ocean or Sarah desert, we may be okay.’ 

Although this asteroid will be the closest of the four passing today, it will still safely pass 2.8 million miles (4.7 million km) from Earth at 16:47 BST.

The biggest asteroid to pass today, 2002 NV16, will come within 2.8 million miles (4.7 million km) at 16:47 BST. This may not seem close but NASA considers this to be ‘potentially hazardous’ since it is less than 30 million miles (48 million km) from Earth

Then, just four minutes later at 16:51 BST, the 150ft (46m) wide asteroid 2024 TR6 will pass Earth at a distance of 3.5 million miles (5.6 million km).

Although none of these asteroids are close enough to pose a serious threat to Earth they are all considered ‘potentially hazardous’ because they are less than 30 million miles (48 million km) from Earth.

NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and a network of amateur astronomers all keep a careful eye on space for any objects that could pose a threat to Earth.

Anything that seems like it could be dangerous is flagged for closer monitoring so that scientists can make better predictions about its orbit.

What makes this set of asteroids somewhat more worrying is that two, 2024 TR6 and 2024 TP17, were only spotted in October.

This is not entirely unusual since most asteroids are typically spotted as they reach their closest point to Earth but it does make them more risky.

ESA has begun testing systems to deflect dangerous asteroids out of Earth’s path such as the DART mission which slammed a satellite into the side of a space rock.

However, these rely on having months or even years of prior warning to carefully nudge an object into a safe orbit.

In September, scientists were caught off guard by a previously-undetected meteor which burned up over the Phillipines (pictured). Scientists say that it is not uncommon for asteroids to be detected as they reach their closest point to Earth  

Only last month, scientists caught off guard as a 3t (1m) previously-undetected asteroid burned up in the skies over the Philippines. 

However, astronomers spot around 2,000 near-Earth asteroids every year and it is only the smallest asteroids that typically avoid detection.

Some of the four approaching today will make even closer flybys within the next few decade. 

Thankfully, they are not likely to become dangerous.

In August 2039, 2024 TR6 will pass at just 1.2 million miles (1.9 million km) followed by a pass by 2024 TP17 at 1.3 million miles (2.1 million km) in October 2040.