NASA releases images of peanut-shaped object making close approach to Earth

NASA has highlighted an interestingly shaped near-Earth asteroid that recently made a close approach to our planet, and during its fly-by, a powerful radar system analyzed it.

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The space agency published the results of the analysis on the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) website, where it explained the oddly-shaped asteroid is officially called 2024 ON. According to the report, Deep Space Network's Goldstone Solar System Radar was used to capture the above images of the asteroid, which passed safely by Earth at a distance of 620,000 miles, or approximately 2.6 times the distance between the Moon and Earth. The asteroid was originally discovered on July 27, 2024, and despite 600,000 miles being an immense distance on Earth, it's actually quite close in astronomical terms.

600,000 miles falls within the range of 2024 ON, being categorized as a near-Earth object or an NEO. However, NASA and other researchers aren't interested in its proximity to Earth but instead in its shape, as 2024 ON resembles a peanut, with one lobe being at least 50% larger than the other. According to the images gathered by the radar, 2024 ON is approximately 1150 feet long with features on its surface that have a diameter of 12.3 feet, which are likely boulders. The images also show the asteroid rotates about 90% over the course of six hours.

"This asteroid is classified as potentially hazardous, but it does not pose a hazard to Earth for the foreseeable future. These Goldstone measurements have allowed scientists to greatly reduce the uncertainties in the asteroid's distance from Earth and in its future motion for many decades," writes NASA