NASA Warns Giant Asteroid 2024 XN1 To Pass Near Earth On Christmas Eve

Illustration of a giant asteroid approaching Earth (pixbay)

JAKARTA The United States Space Agency (NASA) issued a warning regarding a giant asteroid named 2024 XN1 which will pass near Earth on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2024. With the equivalent size of a 10-story building, this asteroid will move at a speed of 23,000 km/hour, according to NASA's Asteroid Watch panel.

This asteroid is predicted to pass at a distance of 7.21 million kilometers from Earth about 18 times the distance between Earth and the Moon. Although it is classified as a close approach in astronomical terms, experts emphasize that the asteroid does not carry a risk of collision with Earth.

Jess Lee, an astronomer from Royal Observatorywactorywa, explains that the trajectory of this asteroid has been accurately predicted. This asteroid has a diameter of about 29 to 70 meters. If, hypothetically, this asteroid hits Earth, its energy is equivalent to 12 million tons of TNT, capable of destroying an area of up to 2,000 square kilometers, "said Lee.

The new Asteroid 2024 XN1 was detected on December 12, 2024 by NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA). After calculating its orbit, scientists categorized this object as a close approach, but with a safe distance. ESA confirms that this asteroid is not included in the list of objects that could potentially harm Earth.

"The asteroid's trajectory has been calculated in detail, and there is no potential danger to our planet," the ESA representative said.

The 2024 Asteroid XN1 will not be seen even by amateur astronomers with ordinary telescopes. Jess Lee compared the possible impact to the Tunguska incident in Russia in 1908, when a similar-sized asteroid exploded in the atmosphere, flattening 80 million trees with an equivalent strength of 3 to 30 megatons of TNT.

After crossing this year's Christmas Eve, the 2024 XN1 giant asteroid will no longer approach Earth until January 2032.

Experts remind the public to remain calm because there is no direct threat from this asteroid. This event is actually an opportunity for astronomers to learn more about near-Earth objects (NEOs) in order to increase readiness to face potential threats in the future.