The size of Asteroid 2024 XN1 was estimated to be up to 120 feet. This was the biggest rock disaster that came close to the earth recently. When it passed close to the Earth, the distance between the two was more than 72 lakh kilometers. NASA considers asteroids that pass at a distance of less than 8 million kilometers as potentially dangerous for the Earth. Asteroid 2024 XN1 was discovered on December 12 this year. It was discovered by NASA and ESA’s Planetary Defense System.
Asteroids can become a threat to our Earth if they collide with us. It has been said in many researches that millions of years ago, dinosaurs were wiped out from the Earth due to the destruction caused by an asteroid collision. Another fact about Asteroid 2024 XN1 is that it is the largest among the 5 asteroids coming closest to the Earth.
Asteroids are also called minor planets. These also revolve around the Sun. According to NASA, our solar system began forming about 4.6 billion years ago. The rocks that remained during that time are asteroids. Scientists have so far discovered more than 11 lakh asteroids.
Most asteroids are found in the main asteroid belt. It is between Mars and Jupiter. Their size can range from 10 meters to 530 kilometers. Most asteroids have an irregular shape. Some are almost circular, while many appear oval. There are some asteroids which have their own moon. Many also have two moons.
