Barely Missed
The thought of an asteroid crashing into Earth isn’t hyperbolic but actually very possible. Thankfully, our moon and gravity help to save us from most asteroids, but some have still made it very close. With that in mind, here are 5 of the closest encounters.
NASA Hubble Space Telescope on Unsplash
1. Bennu
Bennu is a near-Earth asteroid about the same width as the Empire State Building is tall. It's closely monitored because it has a small chance of impacting Earth in the late 21st century. NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission visited Bennu and collected a sample to bring back for analysis.
NASA Hubble Space Telescope on Unsplash
2. 1950 DA
1950 DA is an asteroid discovered in 1950, then lost until rediscovered in 2000. It is a potentially hazardous asteroid with a small chance of impacting Earth in 2880. It is one of the better-studied asteroids due to its close approach and impact probability.
NASA Hubble Space Telescope on Unsplash
3. 1979 XB
Discovered in the late 1970s, 1979 XB is a near-Earth asteroid. It regularly approaches Earth closely, so astronomers track it on a regular basis. While it has passed safely many times, its size could cause major damage.
NASA Hubble Space Telescope on Unsplash
4. 2023 TL4
2023 TL4 is a newly discovered asteroid that made a close approach to Earth in 2023. The asteroid was discovered by astronomers using powerful telescopes that search the skies for potential hazards. Although it came relatively close to Earth, it did not pose a threat.
NASA Hubble Space Telescope on Unsplash
5. 2007 FT3
2007 FT3 is a relatively large asteroid that has been the subject of some attention due to early predictions that it might impact Earth in the 21st century. Fortunately, these scenarios were eliminated with further observations. It does have occasional close approaches to Earth's general vicinity, which is why it continues to be watched.
