Asteroid the size of the Leaning Tower of Pisa to approach Earth in days

                                                         Asteroid approaching Earth

Asteroid the size of the Leaning Tower of Pisa to approach Earth in days

Astronomers have spotted an asteroid the size of Italy's Leaning Tower of Pisa, and it is expected to pass close to Earth next week, posing a threat. NASA announced that asteroid 2025 OW is expected to pass within 393,000 miles of Earth on Monday, July 28. Astronomers believe this is a relatively close distance and poses a real threat.

A report published by the British newspaper, the Daily Mail, stated that the asteroid is one of five asteroids that will pass near NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the coming week. Two other asteroids, each between 100 and 200 feet in length, are expected to pass close to Earth at a distance of more than a million miles next Thursday. Another small asteroid is also expected to pass close to our planet later.

Scientists reported that asteroid 2025 OW is the largest of this group and will make its closest approach to Earth next Monday. It is estimated to be about 210 feet long, making it the size of a 15-story building or a large airplane. The asteroid's projected distance from Earth is about 393,000 miles, making it pass directly behind the moon, which orbits Earth at a distance of 239,000 miles.

While NASA stated that asteroid 2025 OW does not currently pose any threat, it noted that asteroids of this size could cause minor structural damage or shatter windows if they enter the atmosphere over a populated area.

Astronomers classify 2025 OW as a small to medium-sized asteroid, meaning it is not large enough to cause an extinction event on Earth. This type of asteroid typically explodes in the atmosphere and doesn't reach Earth's surface due to the intense frictional heating and pressure exerted on the rock as it enters at high speeds.

Scientists revealed that 2025 OW is moving at about 47,000 mph, an average speed for a near-Earth asteroid. For comparison, 2024 MK, a 500-foot-long asteroid, was traveling at nearly 34,000 mph when it approached Earth at a distance of 184,000 miles in July of last year.

Meanwhile, the massive 1,100-foot-long asteroid 99942 Apophis is traveling at 67,000 mph and is expected to approach Earth at a distance of 20,000 miles on April 13, 2029. At only 210 feet in length, it won't be visible to the naked eye or through binoculars when it reaches its closest approach.

When it comes to tracking potentially hazardous asteroids, NASA's calculations are usually accurate, meaning that the likelihood of asteroid 2025 OW hitting Earth is remote.

 The Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory uses ground-based telescopes and planetary radar systems such as the Goldstone Solar System Radar to detect and track asteroids. These systems measure an asteroid's position, speed, and brightness to determine its orbit and size.