NASA’s asteroid monitoring system has detected three asteroids that are currently approaching Earth. Given the sizes of the approaching asteroids, they could cause powerful explosions in the atmosphere if they collide with the planet.

According to NASA’s Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS), the first asteroid that will zip past Earth on Thursday is called 2019 UD. This asteroid is currently approaching Earth at a speed of almost 7,000 miles per hour. It has an estimated diameter of 79 feet.

Trailing behind 2019 UD is an asteroid known as 2019 UD3. As indicated in CNEOS’ database, this space rock is flying towards Earth at a velocity of 27,000 miles per hour. The agency estimated that the asteroid is about 138 feet, making it the largest space rock in the group.

The third asteroid that’s expected to approach Earth tomorrow is called 2019 UA2. According to CNEOS, this asteroid is about 85 feet wide and is moving at an average velocity of almost 20,000 miles per hour.

Due to the sizes of these three asteroids, they probably won’t reach the ground if they end up on a collision course with Earth. Instead, these asteroids will most likely burn up and explode in the atmosphere.

However, this doesn’t mean that the asteroids are completely harmless. After all, they’re significantly more massive than the asteroid that detonated over Russia in 2013. Back then, an asteroid that was about 66 feet wide exploded at an altitude of 18.5 miles. The energy from the explosion produced up to 500 kilotons of TNT, which is equivalent to about 30 atomic bombs.

Although the bulk of the explosion was absorbed by the atmosphere, it still damaged up to 7,000 buildings on the ground. Around 1,500 people were also injured because of the incident.

Fortunately, CNEOS’s data indicate that the three approaching asteroids will completely miss Earth. According to the agency, 2019 UD will zip past Earth on Oct. 24 at 9:05 am EDT from a distance of 0.02204 astronomical units or roughly 2 million miles away.

2019 UD3, on the other hand, will approach the planet on Oct. 24 at 11:33 am EDT. During this time, the asteroid will be about 0.01013 astronomical units or roughly 941,600 miles away. As for 2019 UA2, this asteroid will zip past Earth on Oct. 24 at 9:14 pm EDT from a distance of 0.02389 astronomical units or about 2.2 million miles away.

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Pictured; an artistic illustration of an asteroid flying by Earth. NASA
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