📷 Image Credits: CNBCTV18
NASA’s Deep Space Network’s Goldstone Solar System Radar recently captured detailed images of two near-Earth asteroids, 2024 MK and 2011 UL21, as they safely passed by our planet. These observations were made as the asteroids made their closest approaches to Earth, providing valuable data for planetary defense. The larger asteroid, 2011 UL21, measuring nearly a mile wide, was discovered in 2011 and was observed with a small ‘moonlet’ in orbit around it. On the other hand, the asteroid 2024 MK, about 500 feet wide, exhibited elongated and angular features as it passed within 184,000 miles of Earth. These close approaches by asteroids of this size are relatively rare occurrences, happening roughly every couple of decades. The radar observations conducted by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory revealed important information about the sizes, orbits, rotations, and surface details of these asteroids, shedding light on their composition and formation. Although classified as potentially hazardous, calculations show that these asteroids do not pose immediate threats to Earth. The radar images captured by the Deep Space Network’s Goldstone Solar System Radar exhibit concavities, ridges, and boulders on the asteroid surfaces, providing a close-up look at these celestial bodies. Furthermore, the binary nature of asteroid systems like these offers essential insights into their mutual orbits, masses, and densities, aiding in understanding their formations. The observations conducted by NASA’s radar team present an extraordinary opportunity to study near-Earth asteroids, highlighting the importance of planetary defense efforts and the role of advanced radar systems in monitoring space objects. For more information on planetary radar and near-Earth objects, visit NASA’s official website for updates and news on asteroid watch and related missions.