Will world end tomorrow? Massive 460-foot asteroid set to skim past earth, NASA issues WARNING

Speculation regarding the apocalypse has been on the rise as NASA confirms that a huge asteroid, 535844 (2015 BY310), will have a close flyby on March 5, 2025. But panic is unnecessary. Although it is large and will be close to Earth, the asteroid is not an immediate danger to our planet.

What we know about Asteroid 535844

Being a Near-Earth Object (NEO), asteroid 535844 is about 460 feet in diameter, roughly the height of a skyscraper. NASA has been keeping a close eye on this space rock because it passed relatively close to our planet. At its closest point, it will come as close as about 3.67 million kilometers (9.5 times the Earth-Moon distance) at 4:28 PM IST on March 5, 2025.

Speed and trajectory

With a mind-boggling speed of 28,298 km/h, asteroid 535844 is even quicker than commercial rockets. NASA's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) has been monitoring its path with the help of sophisticated radar and telescopes. The readings affirm that the asteroid will pass safely by without causing any harm to Earth at this time.

Why isthis Asteroid important?

Asteroids such as 535844 are of particular interest to researchers since they can offer significant information regarding the creation of our solar system. These asteroids are leftovers from more than 4.5 billion years ago and thus hold fundamental value in the study of planetary evolution.

Also, monitoring NEOs is a critical component of planetary defense plans. Though asteroid 535844 will safely pass this time around, observing such objects allows scientists to forecast possible dangers and prepare mitigation strategies for the future.