NASA scientists recently tracked two asteroids that passed close to Earth in late June using radar from the Deep Space Network.
One asteroid, called 2011 UL21, was discovered to have a small moonlet orbiting it. Binaries like this are thought to form after two asteroids collide.
The other asteroid, 2024 MK, was only discovered 13 days before zooming past Earth at a distance closer than the moon. Radar images revealed boulders and surface features on the 500-foot wide object.
Tracking such near-Earth asteroids helps NASA understand their orbits and ensure none are on a potential impact course with our planet. Imagery provides details about their composition and evolution.
The close flybys were an opportunity for scientists to learn more about the physical properties of these hazardous objects and better characterize the population of asteroids that approach Earth’s orbit.
Source: CNN
