210-ft asteroid heading towards Earth tomorrow, warns NASA

NASA has detected a 210-foot asteroid that is set to approach Earth tomorrow at 9:12 AM PST. 

The asteroid is termed 2024 XW15, which is about the size of a big airplane.
It is moving at a staggering speed of 41,421 km/h and will come within 6,460,000 kilometres of our planet. It sounds scary, but NASA has claimed this is not dangerous for our Earth.

How Close Is 2024 XW15?

The 210-foot asteroid will travel a distance over 16 times the average distance between Earth and the Moon. At its distance, astronomers term this as a near miss. But, they consider that the Earth is far out of danger.
Events like these provide valuable opportunities for scientists to study Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) and refine prediction models for future encounters.

Why are asteroids closely monitored?

Dating back 4.6 billion years ago, asteroids like 2024 XW15 are remnants of the early solar system.

They are rocky bodies and are ranging in size and composition. Their orbits sometimes bring them near Earth, so it’s of paramount importance to track their orbits.

Historical events like the asteroid impact, which made the dinosaurs extinct highlight how critical tracking space rocks is.