A stunning artistic depiction showcases two asteroids soaring past Earth. Among these celestial bodies, one stands out – 2024 MK. This asteroid will safely glide by our planet on Saturday, June 29, 2024. Discovered by South African astronomers just two weeks ago, it’s estimated to measure between 393 feet to 853 feet (120 to 260 meters) in diameter. The asteroid’s closest approach to Earth occurs at 9:46 AM EST (13:46 GMT), as it whizzes by at about three-quarters the distance from our planet to the moon.
Our solar system is home to a multitude of asteroids, most of which reside within the Asteroid Belt, a region located between Mars and Jupiter. After Jupiter formed, its massive gravity thwarted the formation of additional planetary bodies, resulting in the creation of this rocky expanse as we know it today.
The largest known asteroid is Ceres, which dwarfs the moon in size by roughly one-quarter its dimensions. These cosmic bodies are predominantly composed of rock, with some containing clay, silicate, and various metals such as nickel and iron.
NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission was responsible for collecting samples from the asteroid Bennu and returning them to Earth in 2015. Intriguingly, scientists discovered water gullies on the asteroid Vesta that year – evidence of a smaller asteroid impacting and melting trapped water ice before trickling it onto the larger surface, leaving behind water trails etched into the rocks.
