Skyscraper-sized asteroid 2020 DB5 approaches Earth: NASA monitors for potential hazards

Asteroid 2020 DB5 is a potentially hazardous asteroid that measures between 380 and 850 metres in diameter, which is comparable to the size of the tallest skyscrapers in the world.

While the asteroid is not expected to cause any catastrophic impacts on Earth, the approach highlights the importance of detecting and tracking asteroids.

With advancements in asteroid tracking services, such as NASA's Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS), the ability to predict a shooting star or an asteroid entering the Earth's atmosphere has become increasingly sophisticated.

Near-Earth objects, such as asteroids and comets, have orbits that bring them to within 120 million miles (195 million kilometres) of the Sun, which means they can circulate through the Earth’s orbital neighbourhood.

Most near-Earth objects are asteroids that range in size from about 10 feet to nearly 25 miles (40 kilometres) across.

The majority of near-Earth objects have orbits that don’t bring them very close to Earth, and therefore pose no risk of impact.

However, potentially hazardous asteroids, defined as asteroids that are more than about 460 feet in size with orbits that bring them as close as within 4.6 million miles (7.5 million kilometres) of Earth’s orbit around the Sun, require more attention.

The recent announcement of 2020 DB5's close approach serves as a reminder of the importance of detecting and tracking asteroids.

With the advancements made in asteroid tracking services, the ability to predict potentially hazardous asteroids has become increasingly refined and accurate.