What is 2025 DU2? Massive 160-ft asteroid dashing toward Earth today at 62,650 kmph
ByTuhin Das Mahapatra
Mar 06, 2025 06:00 AM IST
Asteroid 2025 DU2, measuring 160 feet wide and travelling at 62,650 km/h, will pass Earth on March 6 at a safe distance of 542,000 km.
We all know that a large asteroid is heading towards Earth, but that asteroid has the speed of a building (16 stories essentially) hurtling down the road at 62,650 km/h. This 160-foot wide space rock is also the Apollo group of asteroids and is due to pass close to our planet on March 6 at 6:59 AM IST. It is known as 2025 DU2.
(Image for representation) On March 6, asteroid 2025 DU2, 160 feet wide, will pass Earth at 62,650 km/h, missing by 542,000 km. Lunar and Planetary Institute/Daniel D. Durda/Handout(via REUTERS)
(Image for representation) On March 6, asteroid 2025 DU2, 160 feet wide, will pass Earth at 62,650 km/h, missing by 542,000 km. Lunar and Planetary Institute/Daniel D. Durda/Handout(via REUTERS)
The Apollo asteroids are a group of near-Earth objects (NEOs) with orbits that cross Earth's path. Many space rocks cross near our planet, but most pass without incident, and some are capable of being dangerous in the future. As such, space agencies such as NASA constantly monitor their movements to estimate any potential risks.
While it will miss us by about 542,000 km—roughly 1.4 times the distance between Earth and the Moon.
ALSO READ| Sunita Williams' homecoming: When, where and how will NASA astronaut return?
What would happen If 2025 DU2 hit Earth?
As 2025 DU2 was 160 feet wide and travelling at more than 62,000 km/h while an impact would be catastrophic. That energy would be equal to a nuclear explosion, levelling an entire city and destroying itself severely.
For a point of reference, in 2013, a substantially smaller asteroid, 59 feet wide, entered Earth’s atmosphere over Chelyabinsk, Russia. The explosion shattered windows in all the cities and injured thousands of people. Next, consider the 2025 DU2, which is almost three times as big.
For example, other space agencies and observatories around the world follow 2025 DU2 with NASA’s Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS). Using advanced telescopes, radar systems, and even input from amateur astronomers, they track and analyze asteroids to predict their paths and assess potential risks.
ALSO READ|NASA creates history by using GPS on the Moon for the first time ever
NASA also uses Pan-STARRS planetary radar, and the Catalina Sky Survey project to track the asteroids.
rec-icon Recommended Topics
Share this article
Nasa
Earth
Asteroid
Read breaking news, latest updates from United States on topics related to politics, crime, along with national affairs. Stay up to date with news developments on Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.
See More
Read breaking news, latest updates from United States on topics related to politics, crime, along with national affairs. Stay up to date with news developments on Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.