How big can they get? - Asteroids are fairly small, inactive, rocky bodies orbiting the Sun. Many of these sometimes pass by dangerously close to Earth. Asteroid orbits are constantly monitored. About once a year, an asteroid the size of a car hits Earth's atmosphere, but it goes up in flames before it reaches the planet's surface.

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Measurements -

Here are some of the most significant near-Earth objects (NEO), listed by the date they were closest to Earth, and their size.

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September 2024 ON -

Date: September 18, 2024

Size: 220-480 m (721-1,575 ft)

The 2024 ON asteroid made its last pass close to Earth in 2013, and is expected to make another approach in 2035. NASA identified the asteroid on September 9, which was traveling at an astonishing 25,855 mph (40,000 km/h).

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December 2018 - A huge fireball was not detected until it exploded above Chelyabinsk, Russia. It was the second-largest fireball in 30 years, according to NASA records.

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2018 GE3 -

Date: April 15, 2018

Size: 46–100 m (150-328 ft)

This asteroid could have made some significant impact had it hit Earth.

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2017 EA -

Date: March 2, 2017

Size: 1–5 m (3-16 ft)

Astronomers detected this asteroid only six hours before its closest approach to Earth.

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2017 GM -

Date: April 4, 2017

Size: 2–7 m (6-22 ft)

This meteor was as big as a car!

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2017 UJ2 -

Date: October 20, 2017

Size: 1–5 m (3-16 ft)

This asteroid was the second closest to Earth that year.

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2016 DY30 -

Date: February 25, 2016

Size: 2–5 m (6-16 ft)

This was one of the closest objects to have passed Earth in 2016.

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2016 EF195 -

Date: March 11, 2016

Size: 16–31 m (52-102 ft)

This one was only discovered four days after it passed by Earth.

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2016 AH164 -

Date: January 12, 2016

Size: 3–7 m (10-23 ft)

This asteroid has passed close to Earth previously.

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2015 SK7 -

Date: September 22, 2015

Size: 3–14 m (9-46 ft)

This one was as big as a bus!

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2015 VY105 -

Date: November 15, 2015

Size: 4–9 m (13-30 ft)

This one came closer to our planet than TV and weather satellites orbit.

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2013 Chelyabinsk meteorite -

Date: February 15, 2013
Size: 20 m (approximately 65 ft)
This asteroid was comparable in size to a small building and disintegrated above the city of Chelyabinsk, damaging structures and leaving 1,491 people injured.

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2012 KT42 -

Date: May 29, 2012

Size: 9 m (30 ft)

NASA captured video footage of this asteroid approach.

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2011 CQ1 -

Date: February 4, 2011

Size: 1 m (3 ft)

This small asteroid was only spotted 14 hours before it passed by our planet.

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2011 MD -

Date: June 27, 2011

Size: 14 m (46 ft)

Scientists first mistook this asteroid for a piece of space debris.

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2010 WA -

Date: November 17, 2010

Size: 2–6 m (7-20 ft)

The speed at which this asteroid rotated fascinated scientists.

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2009 VA -

Date: November 6, 2009

Size: 4–13 m (13-43 ft)

This asteroid was spotted by the Catalina Sky Survey about 15 hours before it approached Earth.

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2004 FU162 -

Date: March 31, 2004

Size: 4–12 m (13-39 ft)

Earth's gravitational field made this asteroid change its course.

Sources: (NASA) (Gizmodo) (Space) (The Watchers) (Bended Reality) (EarthSky) (Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society) (MIT) (The Atlantic) (New Scientist)

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How big can they get? -

NASA calculates that around every 2,000 years, a meteoroid the size of an American football field hits Earth.

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What are meteors? - According to NASA, this is when a meteoroid enters our planet's atmosphere and vaporizes, producing a bright light. It's commonly known as a shooting star.

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What's a meteoroid? -

These are small particles from a comet or asteroid.

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How often do meteoroids hit Earth's atmosphere? - More than 100 tons of sand-sized particles and dust hits our planet every day.

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What's a meteorite? -

This is essentially a meteoroid that manages to pass through the Earth's atmosphere and hit the planet's surface.

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Measurements -

Here are some of the most significant near-Earth objects (NEO), listed by the date they were closest to Earth, and their size.

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September 2024 ON -

Date: September 18, 2024

Size: 220-480 m (721-1,575 ft)

Shutterstock

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December 2018 - A huge fireball was not detected until it exploded above Chelyabinsk, Russia. It was the second-largest fireball in 30 years, according to NASA records.

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2018 GE3 -

Date: April 15, 2018

Size: 46–100 m (150-328 ft)

This asteroid could have made some significant impact had it hit Earth.

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2017 EA -

Date: March 2, 2017

Size: 1–5 m (3-16 ft)

Astronomers detected this asteroid only six hours before its closest approach to Earth.

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2017 GM -

Date: April 4, 2017

Size: 2–7 m (6-22 ft)

This meteor was as big as a car!

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2017 UJ2 -

Date: October 20, 2017

Size: 1–5 m (3-16 ft)

This asteroid was the second closest to Earth that year.

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2016 DY30 -

Date: February 25, 2016

Size: 2–5 m (6-16 ft)

This was one of the closest objects to have passed Earth in 2016.

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2016 EF195 -

Date: March 11, 2016

Size: 16–31 m (52-102 ft)

This one was only discovered four days after it passed by Earth.

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2016 AH164 -

Date: January 12, 2016

Size: 3–7 m (10-23 ft)

This asteroid has passed close to Earth previously.

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2015 SK7 -

Date: September 22, 2015

Size: 3–14 m (9-46 ft)

This one was as big as a bus!

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2015 VY105 -

Date: November 15, 2015

Size: 4–9 m (13-30 ft)

This one came closer to our planet than TV and weather satellites orbit.

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2013 Chelyabinsk meteorite -

Getty Images

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2012 KT42 -

Date: May 29, 2012

Size: 9 m (30 ft)

NASA captured video footage of this asteroid approach.

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2011 CQ1 -

Date: February 4, 2011

Size: 1 m (3 ft)

This small asteroid was only spotted 14 hours before it passed by our planet.

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2011 MD -

Date: June 27, 2011

Size: 14 m (46 ft)

Scientists first mistook this asteroid for a piece of space debris.

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2010 WA -

Date: November 17, 2010

Size: 2–6 m (7-20 ft)

The speed at which this asteroid rotated fascinated scientists.

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2009 VA -

Date: November 6, 2009

Size: 4–13 m (13-43 ft)

This asteroid was spotted by the Catalina Sky Survey about 15 hours before it approached Earth.

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2004 FU162 -

Date: March 31, 2004

Size: 4–12 m (13-39 ft)

Earth's gravitational field made this asteroid change its course.

Sources: (NASA) (Gizmodo) (Space) (The Watchers) (Bended Reality) (EarthSky) (Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society) (MIT) (The Atlantic) (New Scientist)

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Meteors that nearly impacted Earth

Close calls from space

09/04/25 | StarsInsider

LIFESTYLE Meteors

Asteroids are rock-like objects that orbit the sun, and meteors are pieces of asteroids (or comets) that enter the Earth's atmosphere. They vary greatly in size and threat to us here on Earth. While small meteors occur every day, large meteors or asteroids are far more rare. According to NASA, an asteroid as big as a car will usually enter the Earth's atmosphere around once per year. This size will burn up before it hits the ground, creating an impressive fireball. Roughly every 2,000 years, an object the size of a football field hits Earth and causes significant damage.

Click through this gallery to discover some of the close calls from the last 20 years.