Hannah Grace Science 12.26.2021 22:Dec PM EST

NASA Warns Massive Bus-Sized Asteroid Approaching Earth in January 2022; Is It Hazardous?

NASA reported that an asteroid, which has a comparable size to a bus, will approach Earth in the first week of January 2022.

Apart from this asteroid, the space agency also stated that, in the same month, there are two asteroids that will pass by Earth. Surprisingly, one of these has the same size as a building.

NASA Asteroid Warning

As the year 2021 comes to an end, several people are anxiously looking forward to more surprises for the new year.

In relation to the said surprises, Inverse reported that, in January 2022, there will be an asteroid that will pass by Earth. The said asteroid is a small bus-sized space rock that provides little to no threat to Earth other than the opportunity to look at it as it approaches the Sun.

Additionally, the said space object, named asteroid 2014 YE15, has a diameter of 42 feet..

In comparison to other asteroids that passed through our Solar System regularly, this asteroid is a minor occurrence.

Last month, three massive asteroids have passed by Earth, as previously reported. With regards to their sizes, these have similarities with the world's tallest structure Burj Khalifa, Paris France's Eiffel Tower, and near twice the size of Egypt's Great Pyramid of Giza.

Meanwhile, asteroid 2014 YE15 will pass closest to Earth on January 6, at 4,600,000 miles, which is about 19 times the distance between Earth and the Moon which is 239,000 miles.

The said asteroid belongs to the Aten asteroids, which circles the Sun between Earth and Mercury.

Is the Asteroid 2014 YE15 Hazardous?

Asteroids that come dangerously near Earth are monitored by NASA.

Through the Near-Earth Object program at NASA, it compiles a list of asteroids that pass through our Solar System and analyzes the chance of each one colliding with Earth during the next 100 years.

According to NASA, an asteroid that approaches within 4.6 million miles and is larger than 150 meters is considered a potentially dangerous object. However, due to its given size, this only means that the asteroid 2014 YE15 is not considered a dangerous object and it poses no harm to Earth at its present distance.

Asteroids of these kinds of size can create catastrophic devastation if it impacts Earth.

For background information, in 1908, a 120-foot-wide asteroid hit the atmosphere above Siberia at a speed of around 33,500 miles per hour and burst in the sky.

EarthSky added that this incident--known as the Tunguska explosion--has a comparable force to 185 Hiroshima bombs. It crushed an estimated 80 million trees or 2,150 square km.

Other Asteroids That Will Pass By Earth

Aside from the bus-sized asteroid that will pass by the Earth next year, NASA also stated that there are two other asteroids that people should know.

On January 7, the asteroid 2020 API that has the comparable size to a car will approach Earth as well. This asteroid has an approximate size of 13 feet, while its closest Earth approach is 1,080,000 miles.

On the other hand, asteroid 2013 YD43 will approach Earth on January 11. The stated asteroid has an approximate size of 340 feet, and it is comparable to a size of a building. Its closest Earth approach is 3,480,000.