A giant asteroid estimated to be larger than San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, is set to pass close to Earth on June 5 but there’s no need to panic. The asteroid, named 424482 (2008 DG5), measures between 1,017 and 2,264 feet (roughly 310 to 690 meters), placing it among the top 3% of the largest known asteroids, according to NASA.
Despite its massive size, the asteroid poses no threat to our planet. It will pass Earth at a distance of about 3.49 million kilometers roughly nine times farther away than the Moon, which orbits Earth at an average distance of 384,400 kilometers. This safe distance ensures there’s no risk of a collision.
NASA, however, classifies 2008 DG5 as a “potentially hazardous object” due to two factors: its size and how close it gets to Earth. By NASA’s standards, any space object larger than 500 meters that approaches within 7.5 million kilometers is considered potentially hazardous because of its potential to cause significant damage in the unlikely event of an impact.
Although 2008 DG5 poses no danger this time, scientists caution that an impact from an asteroid of this size could cause severe regional destruction. If it were to strike land, it could trigger powerful shockwaves. If it landed in an ocean, it could lead to devastating tsunamis. For perspective, the 1908 Tunguska Event in Siberia, caused by a much smaller asteroid around 130 feet wide, flattened millions of trees and scorched a vast area of forest.
Another historical example is the Chicxulub impactor, an asteroid between 10 and 15 kilometers wide, which is widely believed to have triggered the mass extinction of the dinosaurs 66 million years ago.
Asteroid 2008 DG5 belongs to the Apollo group of asteroids, which orbit the Sun and intersect Earth’s orbit. It was first detected in 2008 by the Catalina Sky Survey near Tucson, Arizona a key part of NASA’s Near Earth Object Observation Program. The asteroid completes one orbit around the Sun every 514 Earth days and will next make a close approach to Earth in 2032.
In a related observation, NASA had earlier flagged asteroid 2024 YR4 about the size of the Statue of Liberty as a possible threat. Though smaller, YR4 could unleash energy 100 times more powerful than the Hiroshima bomb if it were to collide with Earth.
While such asteroid events make headlines, NASA and astronomers around the world closely monitor near-Earth objects to ensure any real risks are identified well in advance. For now, 2008 DG5 is another reminder of the vast and dynamic nature of our solar system.