The Jordanian Astronomical Society (JAS) has successfully observed and photographed the asteroid (152637) 1997 NC1 from the skies north of the Jordanian capital, Amman. This celestial body is classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA) and belongs to the Aten group of Near-Earth Asteroids (NEAs). It was originally discovered on July 5, 1997, as part of the NEAT project at the Haleakala Observatory on Maui, Hawaii.
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The President of the Society, Dr. Ammar Sakji, explained that according to the astronomical observations and tracking conducted in Jordan, the asteroid will safely pass its closest point to Earth at 2:14 PM today, posing absolutely no threat to our planet.
According to Sakji, this flyby is the asteroid's closest approach to Earth, reaching a minimum distance of approximately 2,591,020 km. This is equivalent to about 6.7 times the average distance between the Earth and the Moon, while its relative speed is roughly 31,992 km/h.
The asteroid is currently located in the constellation Ophiuchus, with an apparent magnitude of about 10.38. This makes it an ideal target for observation using small to medium-sized astronomical telescopes, though it cannot be seen with the naked eye. Its diameter is estimated to be around one kilometer. It remains on the list of near-Earth asteroids under continuous monitoring by global observatories and space agencies, even though its current flyby will be completely safe and poses no threat to Earth. (Petra)
