Near Earth Objects (NEOs) are comets and asteroids that have orbits that bring them close to the Earth’s orbit. This includes both asteroids and comets that have orbits that cross the Earth’s orbit, as well as those that come close to the Earth but do not cross it.
NEOs come in a wide range of sizes, from small pebbles to large bodies several kilometers across. The vast majority of NEOs are not a threat to the Earth, but a small number of larger objects have the potential to cause significant damage if they were to collide with the planet. NASA and other space agencies around the world have programs in place to track and monitor NEOs to better understand their orbits and the potential risks they may pose.
NASA and other space agencies are constantly monitoring and tracking NEOs, and any object that is found to pose a significant risk to the Earth would be studied in more detail to determine the likelihood of impact and the potential effects. Additionally, the size, proximity, and velocity are the main factors that determine the potential damage of a NEO, but also the location of the impact, the kind of surface, and the time of impact, among other factors, must be considered.
Here are a few examples of NEOs that have been identified as potentially hazardous:
Apophis
This asteroid, which is about 340 meters wide, has a very small chance of impacting the Earth in 2068.
Bennu
This asteroid, which is about 490 meters wide, has a very small chance of impacting the Earth in the late 22nd century.
Ceres
This is the largest asteroid and a dwarf planet , which is about 940 km wide, it has no chance of impacting the Earth in the foreseeable future.
Toutatis
This asteroid, which is about 4.6 km wide, has a very small chance of impacting the Earth in the late 21st century.
Florence
This asteroid, which is about 4.4 km wide, passed close to Earth in 2017 and is not expected to pose a significant threat for the next few centuries.
2004 MN4
This asteroid, which is about 370 meters wide, passed close to Earth in 2029 and is not expected to pose a significant threat for the next few centuries.
2003 SD220
This asteroid, which is about 1.6 km wide, passed close to Earth in 2018 and is not expected to pose a significant threat for the next few centuries.
2001 FO32
This asteroid, which is about 1.2 km wide, passed close to Earth in 2020 and is not expected to pose a significant threat for the next few centuries.
1999 RQ36
This asteroid, which is about 1 km wide, passed close to Earth in 2029 and is not expected to pose a significant threat for the next few centuries.
1997 XF11
This asteroid, which is about 2 km wide, passed close to Earth in 2028 and is not expected to pose a significant threat for the next few centuries.
It’s important to note that these are just a few examples and the list of potentially hazardous NEOs is constantly changing as new observations and data become available. Additionally, the probability of impact of these objects is very low, but it’s important to keep monitoring them.