'Christmas Eve Asteroid' To Pass Closest To Earth At This Time, NASA Confirms

Huge space rock 2024 XN1, which is also dubbed as the 'Christmas Eve asteroid' and is the size of an aeroplane, will skim past Earth at 14,743 mph on 24 December, NASA Asteroid Watch dashboard has confirmed. The asteroid will make its closest approach at 02:56 am GMT on December 24. Measuring between 95 to 230 feet in diameter, scientists estimate that the asteroid carries a potential destructive force equivalent to 12 million tonnes of TNT.

Asteroid 2024 XN1 is the largest of the next five asteroids that will make close approaches to Earth. This massive space rock, measuring around 120 feet in diameter, is being closely monitored by NASA's Asteroid Watch dashboard, which tracks asteroids and comets making relatively close passes by our planet.

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Although it is classified as a "near miss" in astronomical terms, experts assure that there is no risk of collision. The asteroid is expected to safely pass at a distance of approximately 4.48 million miles (7.21 million kilometers) from Earth-about 18 times the distance between the Earth and the Moon.

The asteroid was only first discovered on December 12 by NASA and the planetary defense systems of the European Space Agency. After taking its orbit into account, they labeled it a close approach, meaning it passed within 4.65 million miles or 7.5 million kilometers. While the asteroid poses no danger, its fly-by is an example of importance of ongoing efforts to observe near-Earth objects.

The Asteroid Watch dashboard provides details about each object's closest approach, including the date, size, and distance from Earth. By hovering over each asteroid's encounter date, users can see more information about its size and proximity to Earth.

While 2024 XN1 is the biggest of the upcoming asteroids, scientists assure that none of these objects pose any threat to Earth. The dashboard helps keep the public informed and highlights the importance of monitoring space rocks for potential future risks.