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Asteroid 2024 JV33 resembles a “peanut” – “with two rounded lobes, one lobe larger than the other”, revealed a series of images captured by the Goldstone Solar System Radar near Barstow, California, on August 18, 2024.
In August, asteroid 2024 JV33 safely passed 2.8M miles (4.6M km) from Earth. This near-Earth asteroid made its closest approach to Earth on August 19.
On National Peanut Day, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) released photos and videos of asteroid 2024 JV33. These images were taken when the asteroid was about 12 times the distance between the Moon and Earth.
The asteroid was discovered by the NASA-funded Catalina Sky Survey in Tucson, Arizona, on May 4. According to NASA, “…this near-Earth asteroid is shaped like a peanut — with two rounded lobes, one of which is larger than the other.”
“Scientists used radar images to determine that it is about 980 feet (300 meters) long and that its length is about twice its width. Asteroid 2024 JV33 rotates once every seven hours,” NASA said.
Furthermore, the orbit of asteroid 2024 JV33 is elongated, similar to that of many comets “that are strongly influenced by Jupiter’s gravity”.
“Although no comet-like activity has been observed, the possibility remains that the asteroid may be an inactive comet nucleus,” NASA said.
Asteroid 2024 JV33 is classified as potentially hazardous, but it does not pose any threat to Earth in the near future.
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