“Asteroid Raksasa 12 Juta Ton: Penemuan Menakjubkan di Malam Natal”

NASA recently released information about a large asteroid that will pass by Earth on Christmas Eve. The asteroid, named 2024 XN1, is approximately the size of a 10-story building with a diameter of 29-70 meters. According to NASA’s Asteroid Watch dashboard, it will pass by our planet at a distance of 7.21 million km. Discovered on December 12 by NASA and the European Space Agency’s planetary defense system, the asteroid has been classified as a “close approach,” meaning it will pass within 7.5 million km of Earth. There is no indication that the asteroid poses a threat of colliding with Earth. The closest approach of 2024 XN1 to Earth is expected at 02:56 GMT on Christmas morning. Astronomers believe the asteroid will be far enough away to pose no danger to Earth. However, the potential impact of such a large asteroid hitting Earth would be catastrophic, equivalent to 12 million tons of TNT and wiping out an area of 700 square miles. 2024 XN1 will not be visible in the night sky and is predicted to approach Earth again in January 2032.