Bus-sized asteroid approaching Earth today, Nasa says; Here's all we know

United States' space agency, NASA, has said asteroid with size as that of a bus is approaching Earth today, Oct 19. The celestial object has been termed 2024 TY21 with size measuring approximately 40 feet in width and will come at a safe distance of 840,000 miles, and NASA has confirmed that there is no threat to our planet.

Asteroids, also known as minor planets, orbit the Sun within our solar system and are rocky remnants from its formation 4.6 billion years ago. Unlike planets, asteroids lack an atmosphere, and their size and structure can vary significantly, with many remaining largely unchanged since their inception.

Recently, NASA has been on a mission to explore life on Jupite's icy moon. NASA probe will be for five-and-a-half-year journey to Europa, one of Jupiter's many moons, to take the first detailed step toward finding out.


The Europa Clipper mission will allow the US space agency to uncover new details about the moon, which scientists believe could hold an ocean of liquid water beneath its icy surface.

Liftoff is scheduled for "no earlier than" Monday, October 14, from Cape Canaveral in Florida aboard a powerful SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket, NASA said in a statement.

Read More: NASA has a new plan to protect Earth from Asteroids, including a '1000-strong' space army

"Europa is one of the most promising places to look for life beyond Earth," said NASA official Gina DiBraccio at a news conference last month.