Asteroid 2011 ES4 as big as Edinburgh's Tron Kirk will pass by the Earth soon: NASA

Another huge asteroid will shoot past the Earth which has been listed as potentially hazardous asteroid. Reportedly, it will be closer than the moon is to the Earth. Moreover, the size of the asteroid is as big as Edinburgh’s Tron Kirk. Read on to know about the potential threats it may hold for the Earth.

Asteroid to shoot past Earth: NASA

The American space agency has said that the heft asteroid will fly by closer to the Earth than the Moon. According to a media portal, the speed at which the 2011 ES4 space rock will pass by the Earth is estimated to be at 18,253 mph. According to scientists, the space rock is around 49 metres. The size of the rock is almost as big as Edinburgh’s Tron Kirk, which is one of the tallest buildings in the capital and is 52 metres high.

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The asteroid was first discovered in the year 2011. NASA has not listed the asteroid as a threat to our planet though but has registered it on their Near Earth Objects as “potentially hazardous”. Reportedly, it will pass by planet Earth around 0.00048 astronomical units away. It is equivalent to 44,618 miles.

It means that it will come far closer to the Earth than to the Moon. The Moon is around 238,588 miles away from the Earth. Moreover, it is the closest asteroid on the list compiled by NASA.

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However, it must be noted that 2011 ES4 is not the first such asteroid to pass by the Earth this year. Reportedly, in June, a rock larger than Arthur’s Seat was due to pass by the planet Earth. It was to pass by the Earth at 11,200 mph.

SpaceReference.com had estimated it to be between 250 m and 500 m tall. Moreover, a media portal had recorded it as larger than 90% of all the other asteroids.

This asteroid and other asteroids are being constantly tracked by NASA. Moreover, the European Space Agency is also monitoring the risks these asteroids might pose to the planet earth. The NASA and European Space Agency are working alongside each other and are monitoring as well as tracking any potential risks that they might pose to the Earth.

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