The European Space Agency (ESA) is monitoring a small asteroid, 2020 XR, as it safely passes by Earth on December 4, 2024. The asteroid, approximately 300-700 meters across, will come within six times the distance from our planet to the Moon.
Discovered four years ago, 2020 XR initially raised concerns about a potential collision in 2028 due to its initial orbit. However, further analysis of existing data and re-examining older observations led astronomers to accurately calculate its orbit around the Sun and rule out any impact on Earth for at least the next 100 years.
The ESA is tracking this asteroid as part of its Planetary Defence activities. To learn more about asteroids and the agency’s efforts to protect our planet, visit their website.
Source: https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2024/12/Close_approach_of_asteroid_2020_XR