NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office has been monitoring a new asteroid named 2023 DW, which has a very small chance of impacting Earth on Valentine’s Day in 2046. The asteroid has an average diameter of 49 metres and is estimated to have 10 close approaches to Earth, with the closest approach occurring in February 2046. While the European Space Agency predicts a one in 625 chance of collision, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Sentry system estimates a chance of one in 560. The asteroid is the only object currently being tracked that ranks on the Torino scale, which is used by NASA to categorise potential Earth-impact events. However, NASA has stated that the chances of the asteroid hitting the planet are extremely slim.
The US space agency has also stated that it often takes several weeks of data to reduce uncertainties and accurately predict the orbits of newly discovered objects years into the future. As such, orbit analysts will continue to monitor asteroid 2023 DW and update predictions as more data becomes available.
The asteroid was first detected in February and is estimated to have an average diameter of 49 metres, which is roughly equivalent to the length of an Olympic-sized swimming pool. In September 2022, NASA successfully crashed its Double Asteroid Redirection Test spacecraft into an asteroid to test whether it could prevent potentially devastating collisions with Earth.
While the chances of asteroid 2023 DW colliding with Earth are extremely low, it serves as a reminder of the importance of continued monitoring and research into near-Earth objects. NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office is responsible for detecting, tracking and characterising potentially hazardous asteroids and comets that could pose a threat to Earth. The office also works on developing and testing methods to deflect or redirect these objects away from Earth.
In addition to monitoring near-Earth objects, NASA is also working on developing new technologies and strategies to protect the planet from potential asteroid impacts. One such technology is the DART spacecraft, which was successfully tested in September 2022. The spacecraft is designed to deflect asteroids by crashing into them at high speeds, altering their trajectory and preventing them from colliding with Earth.
Overall, while the chances of asteroid 2023 DW impacting Earth are extremely low, continued monitoring and research into near-Earth objects is crucial for protecting the planet from potential impacts in the future. NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office plays a vital role in this effort, working to detect and track potentially hazardous asteroids and comets and developing new technologies to prevent collisions with Earth.