Unexpected Visitor: NASA Warns of Sky Object Near Earth

This Christmas Eve, while kids all over the globe are hoping for a peek at Santa’s sleigh, NASA has issued a caution that an even more surprising visitor will be speeding through our skies.

A giant asteroid, informally referred to as the “Christmas Eve asteroid,” is expected to pass by Earth on December 24 at an astonishing speed of 14,743 mph (23,700 km/h). This space rock, designated 2024 XN1, is roughly the size of a ten-story building, with a diameter estimated to be between 29 and 70 meters (95 to 230 feet).

Nerds at NASA’s Asteroid Watch dashboard have indicated that 2024 XN1 will glide by at a safe distance of 4.48 million miles (7.21 million km) from our planet. Although that might sound close in the vastness of space, experts are assuring everyone there is absolutely no chance of a collision.

Not a threat to Earth

Jess Lee, an astronomer from the Royal Greenwich Observatory, clarified, “It will be very far away—around 18 times the distance from the Earth to the Moon—so it won’t come anywhere near hitting Earth.”

Still, she emphasizes that the size of the asteroid serves as a reminder of the risks such space objects can pose. Scientists estimate that if 2024 XN1 were to collide with Earth, it could release energy comparable to 12 million tons of TNT and flatten an area spanning 700 square miles (2,000 square kilometers).

After its December 24 pass, 2024 XN1 won’t make another close flyby until January 2032. PHOTO: NASA

The asteroid was only identified on December 12, when both NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) detected it approaching Earth. After tracking its orbit, the agencies have deemed its flyby a “close approach,” although it remains on course to miss us by a vast distance.

A near miss, but no impact

2024 XN1 will make its closest approach at 02:56 am GMT on December 24. Given its distance and size, the ESA has classified this event as a “very frequent” occurrence and has excluded it from their “Risk List,” which includes objects with any potential collision risk.

While the asteroid will be too far away for most to see, Lee points out that even a comparatively small asteroid could cause immense damage if it were to impact Earth. She likens this to the 1908 Tunguska Event in Russia, where a similar-sized asteroid exploded in the atmosphere, destroying 80 million trees. The energy released during that event was estimated to range between 3 and 30 megatons of TNT.

After its December 24 pass, 2024 XN1 won’t approach Earth again until January 2032, when it will pass at a slightly closer distance of 3.1 million miles (4.7 million km). Its nearest approach will occur in December 2106, when it will skim by at just 2.11 million miles (3.4 million km).

Other celestial visitors this holiday season

During the Christmas season, a few other asteroids will also be zipping past Earth. On December 23, a smaller asteroid known as 2013 YB has a negligible chance of colliding with Earth. At less than 3 meters (10 feet) in diameter, it is expected to disintegrate in the atmosphere, creating only a bright fireball. The chances of impacting are extremely low, with the ESA estimating a one-in-52,356 likelihood.

On Christmas Day, a larger asteroid, 2021 BA2, is set to make a notably close pass at 1.71 million miles (2.76 million km). Measuring between 30 and 70 meters (100 to 230 feet) in diameter, it is categorized as a “potential city killer,” but, like 2024 XN1, space agencies have confirmed that there’s no chance of a collision.

Finally, the next significantly large asteroid to pass by Earth will be making its approach in early January 2025. An asteroid measuring 400 meters (1,310 feet) across will zip past the planet on January 5, 2025, at a speed of 49,660 mph (79,920 km/h), maintaining a distance of 2.29 million miles (3.68 million km), with no threat to Earth predicted.

The “Christmas Eve Asteroid”

Name: 2024 XN1

Discovery date: December 12, 2024

Estimated diameter: 29–70 meters

Closest approach: December 24, 2024, at 02:56 am GMT

Closest distance to Earth: 4.48 million miles (7.21 million km)

Risk of collision: None

While the approach of the “Christmas Eve asteroid” doesn’t pose any danger to our planet, it serves as an important reminder of the necessity to keep a close watch on near-Earth objects.