Asteroid ‘2011 ES4’ To Zoom Past Earth Today

File Photo: An Asteroid. Image For Representation Purpose Only. Image Credit: ESO/M. Kornmesser.

Asteroid 2011 ES4 is going to approach the Earth today. It was discovered on March 2, 2011, and classified as an Apollo-class asteroid. Its size, according to NASA, is 22 — 49 meters in diameter and can be compared to the U.S. Capitol building. Asteroid 2011 ES4 can be called small in absolute terms, but it’s larger than 90% of asteroids.

It’s not a potentially hazardous object; however, NASA JPL has classified 2011 ES4 as a "Near-Earth Asteroid" due to its orbit's proximity to the Earth. It orbits the Sun every 416 days, coming as close as 124 million kilometers and reaching as far as 203 million kilometers from the Sun.

It will come close to the Earth on September 1 at around 16:12 GMT. It’s most likely close-approach distance is three times closer than the Moon's (0,32 LD). There is no risk of a 2020 impact because it can’t pass through where the Earth will be.