Near-Earth objects that come at a distance of below 7.5 million km from Earth are termed as potentially hazardous asteroids
NASA’s Asteroid Watch tweeted that a near-Earth asteroid named 7482 (1994 PC1) will safely fly past our planet today at a distance of 1.2 million miles or 1.9 million kilometres. This is about five times the distance between the Earth and Moon. The asteroid will make another close approach this year on July 3. 7482 (1994 PC1) has a diameter of about 1km and is classified as an Apollo asteroid.
On January 18, three other asteroids will make their closest approach to Earth. Check out the details below.
| Name of the asteroid | Diameter of the asteroid (in metre) | Fly-by distance (in kms) | Next close approach |
| 2021 BA | 22.3 | 3.7 million | January 19, 2023 |
| 2022 AW | 48.1 | 3.6 million | July 10, 2029 |
| 2022 AA6 | 13.4 | 4.6 million | Unknown |
Why are these asteroids called Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHA)?
Near-Earth objects that come at a distance of below 0.05 astronomical units or 7.5 million km from Earth are termed as potentially hazardous asteroids. There are over 1,500 PHAs according to the International Astronomical Union.
How to watch the asteroid?
According to earthsky.org the 7482 (1994 PC1) will shine at around magnitude 10. This magnitude is less than the shine of Venus and other stars seen by our naked eyes in the sky. The website adds that a 6-inch or larger backyard telescope can help spot the asteroid, but you also need to make sure there is no light pollution.
Last year NASA launched the world’s first mission to deflect an asteroid. Named DART, it will collide with a small moonlet called Dimorphos between September 26 and October 1. It hopes that the small nudge can change the course of the moonlet.
This month’s near-Earth objects
| Name of the asteroid | Date of close approach |
| (2022 AB) | January 20 |
| (2022 AE6) | January 20 |
| (2022 AX4) | January 21 |
| (2018 PN22) | January 21 |
| (2017 XC62) | January 24 |
| (2021 BZ) | January 27 |
| (2022 AN5) | January 28 |
| (2022 AG6) | January 28 |
According to NASA, no known asteroid poses a risk of impact with Earth over the next 100 years. “The highest risk of impact for a known asteroid is a 1 in 714 chance of impact by an asteroid designated 2009 FD in 2185,” NASA’s planetary defense website adds.
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