Earth is in for a celestial spectacle as it braces for the close encounters of not just one or two but five asteroids

This week, Earth is anticipating a celestial display, preparing for the close encounters not of one or two, but five asteroids. According to NASA’s Asteroid Watch dashboard, leading this cosmic ensemble is the massive Asteroid 2008 OS7, an astronomical giant comparable in size to a FIFA-accredited football stadium, measuring an impressive 890 feet (0.27 kilometers) in diameter.

First identified by NASA in 2008, this cosmic behemoth is set to pass by our planet on February 2nd. The cosmic rendezvous, as indicated by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), will occur at a distance of 1.77 million miles—a cosmic proximity that, although deemed safe, piques the interest of avid sky watchers.

However, 2008 OS7 is not the solitary luminary in this celestial procession. Four additional celestial companions, ranging in size from that of a house to a building, are also poised to make their celestial entrances.

On Sunday (Jan 28th), Asteroid 2024 AU4, a celestial body measuring 260 feet in width, akin to the size of a large building, safely passed Earth at a distance of 3.92 million miles.

Tuesday (Jan 30th) will witness the arrival of 2007 EG, an asteroid resembling the dimensions of an airplane—130 feet (0.04 km), making its celestial approach at 3.8 million miles.

Thursday (Feb 1st) marks the entrance of two more cosmic travelers: Asteroid 2024 BY, a wanderer of house-sized proportions—62 feet (0.02 km), gracefully traversing at 1.57 million miles, and Asteroid 2003 BM4, a celestial aviator comparable in size to an airplane—120 feet (0.04 km), journeying at a distance of 2.06 million miles.

NASA’s Asteroid Watch dashboard diligently monitors asteroids and comets approaching Earth relatively closely. The dashboard specifically displays the next five Earth approaches within 4.6 million miles (7.5 million kilometers or 19.5 times the distance to the moon). Objects larger than approximately 150 meters that approach Earth within this range are classified as potentially hazardous objects, as outlined on the JPL website.