Car-size asteroid just missed Earth with a super-close shave with flyby closer than some satellites

Apr 13, 2024

Car-size asteroid just missed Earth with a super-close shave with flyby closer than some satellites

Apr 13, 2024

An asteroid discovered Tuesday (April 9) will make an extremely close but harmless pass by Earth today (April 11).

Asteroid 2024 GJ2 is roughly the size of a car. Since its discovery this week, astronomers have calculated that the space rock will graze by Earth at a mere 12 thousand-mile (19.3-thousand-kilometer) distance—that’s just three percent the distance between the Earth and the moon.

According to the European Space Agency (ESA), 2024 GJ2 measures between 2.5 and 5 meters (8.2 and 16 feet). This means it’s an asteroid with a weight class that would have burned up in Earth’s atmosphere if its orbit happened to intersect ours more directly.


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Astronomers believe the asteroid’s closest approach distance to Earth will occur at 2:28:42 p.m. EDT (18:28:42 GMT) on Thursday, at a distance of 11,600 miles (18,700 kilometers).

That’s closer than some geostationary satellites in orbits just over 22,236 miles (35,785 km) above Earth. According to ESA’s near-Earth objects coordination center, the next closest flyby of 2024 GJ2 will occur in 2093.

When that happens, the asteroid won’t pass nearly as close as it will today. GJ2’s 2093 approach is estimated to fly as close as 127,970 miles (205,947 kilometers) to us — 10 times further than today’s flyby and just over half the distance between Earth and the moon.

About the Author

End Time Headlines is a ministry founded, owned, and operated by Ricky Scaparo, established in 2010 to equip believers and inform discerning individuals about the “Signs and Seasons” of the times in which we live. Ricky authors original articles and curates news from mainstream sources, carefully selecting topics, verifying information, and utilizing artificial intelligence tools to ensure content is both timely and accurate. Every piece is personally reviewed and edited by Ricky to align with the ministry’s mission of providing a prophetic perspective on current events.

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