Asteroid 2024 CY1 Safely Passes Between Earth and Moon in Close Encounter
In a thrilling celestial event, an asteroid named 2024 CY1 made a close pass between Earth and the Moon on Monday. This small car-sized space rock, measuring only about 4 to 8 meters in diameter, flew by at a distance of approximately 121,000 kilometers, which is nearly a third of the distance between our planet and its natural satellite. The close approach occurred at around 7.24 GMT, as reported by the Virtual Telescope Project.
The discovery of this asteroid marks the tenth time this year that astronomers have observed an asteroid passing within 1 lunar distance of Earth. It is also the third such encounter to happen in February alone. Fortunately, experts have assured us that this particular asteroid did not pose any risk to our planet.
This recent close encounter comes on the heels of another exciting event last month when astronomers detected an asteroid hurtling towards Earth just hours before it entered our atmosphere. Named 2024 BXI, the space rock disintegrated harmlessly in the skies above Berlin, creating a mesmerizing fireball. This incident marked only the eighth time that an asteroid had been spotted shortly before its impact. Enthusiastic space lovers even managed to recover fragments of the rock around Berlin.
Earlier this year, we witnessed an asteroid roughly the size of a skyscraper safely passing by Earth at a distance of about 1.7 million miles. Although classified as “potentially hazardous” due to its size, it posed no immediate danger as it passed by at a distance approximately seven times greater than that between Earth and the Moon.
While astronomers have discovered around 25,000 asteroids capable of wiping out entire cities, the European Space Agency (ESA) believes that there could be as many as a million asteroids in the size range of 30 to 100 meters near Earth, with the majority of them still undiscovered. This realization has prompted space agencies and governments worldwide to intensify their efforts in spotting potentially hazardous objects and developing strategies to protect our planet.
One such initiative is the ESA’s Neomir, an orbiting observatory currently under development. Expected to launch around 2030, Neomir will be positioned between the Sun and Earth, serving as an early warning system for asteroids. Its primary objective is to detect and track these celestial bodies, providing crucial data for future mitigation efforts.
As we continue to explore the vast expanse of space, it is essential to remain vigilant and proactive in identifying potential threats. The close encounter of asteroid 2024 CY1 serves as a reminder of the importance of ongoing research and development in safeguarding our planet from the perils that lurk beyond our atmosphere. With initiatives like Neomir on the horizon, we can look forward to a future where humanity is better equipped to navigate the cosmic dangers that lie in wait.
